Rebirth of Railgun
by Novalia1001
Summary: Train and the gang are confronted by new and old enemies with a twist: the death of him and Eve lead to the end of a war in the future...also: "You're my son!" Train yelled.
1. Lost Again!

**Author's Note**: I'm hardcore to manga (with the exception of Principe del Tenis), so everything I say is basically manga based. So to you anime viewers, I'll explain Train's "Railgun".

After being shot by the Lucifer bullet and returned to his original form, the residing nanomachines within his body created some sort of static electricity level charge that, when stored in his pure orihalcon gun, could shoot bullets at such a speed that you can't see its trajectory, and it has a ridiculously impacting effect. Unfortunately, he could only shoot it up to a maximum of four times per day.

I was so disappointed when _Hades _broke, but even after it was repaired Train felt that he couldn't use Railgun anymore. Because of an idea I had for Railgun, this fan fic was created.

**And for you people who like to read without saying a word, I **_**dare **_**you **_**not **_**to push the review button, and the apocalypse will be delivered to your doorstep with a smile.**

… … …

Chapter One: Lost Again!

Naturally, the trio was starving. The young bio-weapon hid her hunger behind the complex sentences of geometrical theorems, and Sven's agitation had increased, constantly directed to the growling, amazingly feline marksman rolling with agony in the backseat, long arms wrapped about his moaning torso.

"Train, you're being ridiculous," Sven barked at him for the twelfth time.

"What else is new," Eve muttered sarcastically into her book.

She looked over her shoulder when fingers gripped the edge of her seat. "My, my," came a childish yet eerily raspy voice, "Princess is getting quite rhetorical, isn't she?"

Eve closed her book and lightly hit Train's forehead while looking out the window with an irritated glance. "Don't hover over my books," she muttered.

Train retreated, clutching his red nose and sending glares at Eve's back through growing tears.

"Huh," Sven suddenly said in a low voice and the car trickled to a stop as he looked over the open map on the dashboard propped up for him to see beyond the wheel. "Did I miss the turn?"

Train groaned tiredly and flopped on his back, arms going up to the ceiling of the car in exasperation. "If starvation won't kill us, Sven's lack of direction will!"

"Shut up back there!" Sven yelled irritably.

"Let me see," Eve pressed softly and took the map from his hands, scanning it quickly before a look of realization crossed her face. "Sven, there's an obvious solution."

Train sat up and Sven raised his eyebrows in question just before Eve held the map at arms width, and then turned it completely upside down.

Sven paled.

"You mean to say that we've been going in the _totally opposite_ direction?" Train yelped.

"Unfortunately," Eve nodded and Sven's head landed on the car's horn with a _thunk_ and a loud endless _beeeeeeeeeeeeeeep _until Train held him up by the shoulders. "Don't die on us yet, old man," he mumbled with a playful killer's intent lurking at the back of his voice.

"I'm not an old man, I'm a gentleman!" Sven raised his voice and reached for Train's neck.

"Fortunately there's a town nearby," Eve said over their squabble as her eyes continued to pass over the map. "It's five hundred miles away, but we should be able to get there by dusk."

"Hopefully," Sven said with a sigh as he turned the car back onto the road and glanced at the map that was slightly tilted out of his view. He looked at Eve questioningly and she smiled softly, apologetically.

"No offense, Sven," she said, "but I think I'll be the one to read the map."

Sven flushed and muffled laughter came from behind.

"Shut _up!"_

"Hey, _hey! _Keep your hands on the wheel!"

"Please pay attention to the road, Sven."

…

The town was actually a fully developed city, and Train—in his lack of patience and naturally human frustration—disposed of the map as soon as they arrived.

"Nooo!" Sven yelped as he was pulled away by his partners, his feet dragging across the red bricked sidewalk. "That map cost me seventeen hundred yen!"

"It was useless, Sven!" Train retorted, "I told you not to buy it!"

"Especially since it came from _that _man," Eve agreed quietly. There was a mutual silence as the grinning Woodney came to mind.

"Anyway, aside from that," Train said, brushing off the previous topic with a shake of the head, "how 'bout we grab something to eat?"

"Of course that's the first thing _you'd _think about," Sven mumbled.

"I concur," Eve said to Sven. "We're all hungry; we ought to take care of our primary necessities before indulging in our next target."

Sven seemed to consider.

"And you'll always agree to what Princess says," Train remarked unwisely.

Before Sven could respond Eve snapped with a quiet anger, "What are you implying?"

'

"Eh?"

"Are you saying that Sven's the only one who trusts me? That I'm not mature enough to be trusted?"

"Princess, I didn't…"

"Train, I challenge you!"

_Here we go again, _Sven thought bitterly.

And his younger partner wasn't half the adult he claimed to be as he continued to take advantage of Eve, grinning and beaming with the well rehearsed tone: "Alright, Princess, what'll it be?"

"The first one to find the city's public library and report back to Sven via cellular phone wins," Eve said immediately.

_What? I'm involved too? _Sven thought with an aghast expression.

Train pouted, "Aw, Princess, the library?" he whined, "Can't we go for a more _fun _location?"

"No," Eve responded firmly, staring Train down. He clasped his hands behind his mess of a head and looked across the road.

"Alright, fine," he mumbled, though definitely not content.

Eve faced forward down the main lane. "Sven, start us off please."

"On your mark get set go," Sven mumbled tonelessly as his hands slipped into his pockets and he looked down the street, expecting to see their backs rushing away from him. He winced when he met their stares from their crouched positions over their shoulders.

"What?" he asked.

"Can't you do it with a bit more _life?" _Train asked with a risen eyebrow.

Eve's gaze said the same.

"On your marks," Sven restarted dramatically and loudly, "get set," Eve and Train tensed, their stares ahead. _"Go!"_

And this time, they were off.

Sven shook his head, tipping his hat to a bewildered woman who was passing with her pampered pet on a thin, long leash. "Good evening, ma'am," he said delicately, and quickened his stride to the nearest pub for him to drown his embarrassment in coffee.

Eve trotted through the park, glancing around casually. Train was faster, she admitted, but her study of morphology was more precise. Usually the public library was situated towards the centre of a city, especially one as grand as this, and across from a large park would be sensible enough, though not _very _common, she had seen it more than once and decided to check there.

Her stride lessened until she was walking briskly, looking about energetically for a mass structure…

"Hey, little princess," a voice came from behind.

The tone of which her term was used wasn't friendly, rather it sounded husky and uncomfortably lustful. She turned around and winced in the heavy grip of the tall man who she would admit was handsome but creepy, an intricate black tattoo of a snake weaving up from his jeans jacket collar to his dark blonde sideburns, and tinted eyewear showed glimpses of narrow eyes with a nasty intent.

Her glare settled on him as she braced herself for attack. "Let me go," she warned.

Before he could retort, chuckle or much less blink, he was powerfully kicked smartly across the jaw, and went to the ground in a spiral, blood trickling from his broken nose and bruised mouth as he settled into unconsciousness with an interrupted smirk on his face.

Eve glanced at him, and then the attacker. He looked like nineteen at most: a black jacket with matching jeans and dark boots walking across the ground to the unmoving man. Fingerless gloves removed a wallet from the limp pocket and tucked it into his own before tawny eyes glanced up at Eve.

"A thief?" she inquired with a tilt of the head, examining him.

"What's with that disappointed expression?" the stranger demanded in a comical anger, before he responded in all honesty: "He robbed me. I'm just taking back what's mine."

"Oh," Eve said simply. She then turned on her heel. "I see. Good bye."

"Aren't you going to thank me?" the voice asked in that shocked tone again.

Eve looked over her shoulder at him. He was taller and looked stronger within that slim build, and though he looked emotionally stressed, he seemed easy-going enough.

"Are you a local here?" Eve asked him.

He frowned at the unexpected question. "Yeah."

"Can you tell me where the public library is?" she asked earnestly, her monotonous expression suddenly turning to a vivid one.

He nodded numbly with a startled countenance and pointed warily to his left, "Yeah, it's over there—!"

Eve grabbed his wrist and pulled him along, going in long strides that he matched awkwardly. "Show me!" she said in a hurried voice and, having less than an option, followed her lead.

**A/N: I'll tell you a recalled story, alright? Listen to this: in the past, I hadn't written a story for a week because I wanted to read the reviews I got, right? So I take a tour through my profile and see 27 reviews for a one-shot about a drunk character. "Alright! I'm happy," that is before I scroll down. The other six to seven stories that I hadn't touched for **_**weeks **_**had the same reviews as they always did, and not a lot either: 5, 7, 3, one even! One review!**

**I tell you: this story is going to be **_**awesome **_**with shounen, a splash of humor and a twist that ya'll are not going to believe. **

**That said, let's see the reviews comin'!**


	2. Acute Senses

Chapter Two: Acute Senses

Train kept his sense alert almost instinctively as he strode down the pavement, amber eyes gazing ahead yet seeing what others couldn't see.

_Bearing: southwest one hundred and fifty two degrees, a bickering couple, eight meters._

He concentrated harder, looking past his chocolate bangs.

_My hair's due to cut, _he thought idly. _Southeast, one hundred and sixty degrees, narrow ally two yards wide, twelve meters._

A motorcycle parked before a glowing restaurant provided a suitable reflection to see indoors, and his eyes narrowed in his attempt to see reflections within reflections.

_Four waiters, three waitresses, elaborate wallpaper, violinist playing Concertos No.3: Allegro Modero. What classic taste, _he closed his eyes and resorted to sound as he continued walking. For a moment he relied on the steady click of his shoes against concrete before he pinpointed the echoes along the walls and could differentiate texture and distance to remarkable precision.

_A coin three yards away to my left in the centre of the cobblestone road, _he noted. _Copper, not worth scavenging._

He listened harder. _Sven meters to my above right, an old radio lined with static playing blues from the seventies. Must be an old man._

He stopped walking for a moment, but his eyes remained shut. He heard a scuffle on the roof; at first he believed that it was just a kitten stumbling over its footing—they tended to lack depth perception, much to his astonishment—but on listening more intently, he realized that it was heavier than a kitten. Before he could analyze any further, it seemed to disappear, and a presence so diminutive vanished.

Cattish eyes gazed up into the darkness and caught the faintest blur of a black coat. Whoever it was, it was too quiet, even for Chronos. Yet they had no reason to prosecute him, had they?

He pulled out his cell phone when it rang and, still looking up at the rooftop, put it to his ear.

"Yeah, Sven?"

"Train!" the loud voice made him jump and startle a passer-by, who ducked as though he were being shot at. "Where in _hell _are you! Eve found the library hours ago!"

"Library?" Train inquired. There was a tangible silence along the transmission.

"You've forgotten the bet, haven't you," Sven asked in a low, seething and sarcastic voice, and Train couldn't help but grin.

"Bet…?Ah, little Princess!" he paused, and then his smile faltered. "She beat me, huh?"

"To a ridiculous extent," Sven rose his voice again and Train kept it a good arms width from his irritated senses while he walked on, half listening to his loquacious partner's ramble. He paused, catching glimpse of purple hair.

"Rinslet?"

The said thief turned in her tracks and looked over her shoulder. "Train!" she grinned and walked up to him, slapping him on the shoulder. "What are you doing…" she trailed off and pointed to his cell phone.

"Don't ask," Train managed through gritting teeth. "Sven, Sven! Shut up for a minute."

Though he said it good naturedly, his partner was caught off guard. "I'll be coming home a bit late, don't wait up."

"What about dinner?" his serious voice asked.

Tawny eyes flickered to Rinslet and she glared at him, but nodded stiffly with an exasperated shrug. "Someone's treating me. I'll see you at the hotel later."

"Wait, Trai—!" the phone snapped shut.

The ex-assassin paused when he felt a piercing gaze in his back.

"So what'll it be?" Rinslet's demonic voice asked him. "Dead meat with roadkill on the side?"

"Can't we just get some seafood?" Train asked quietly.

Rinslet was bound to corner him again in some sort of debt, but for now he ignored the arm that was wrapped around his. They were being followed seriously this time, and he regretted bringing in Rinslet simply or the sake of acting natural among the crowd.

Anyway, knowing Walker she would have approaching him in an even more boisterous manner. He didn't regret his position, taking that in consideration. He acknowledged _Hades _secured to his right thigh and noted direction and distance without giving too much away in his stance or line of sight.

"Are you listening to me, Train?"

Train playfully looked to his left and in his act, caught glimpse of movement. "Rins, nobody listens to what you say."

His retort left a fast developing bruise of his head, smoking fiercely from her punch. She huffed. "You could learn a thing or two from Sven."

_Other than cleaning guns, doubt it, _Train thought to himself. It was only then that he realized that if Rinslet hadn't found him, he would have been worse than lost.

…

"Damn stray," Sven muttered as he looked over his phone.

Their rented room was surprisingly elaborate for a low price: carpeted floors, three separate bedrooms, a personal washroom and open kitchen: even a fire place made with red bricks. Eve was lying on her side on the couch, a thick book open in front of her and a crisp new bookmark in hand, courtesy of Sven.

She looked up at Sven's grumbling. "Train isn't coming for a while, isn't he?"

"Apparently he met up with someone and is getting treated to dinner," he responded as he turned back to his workstation and slaved over the electronics. "I swear, if Echidna were to invite him to a buffet with her and Creed he'd go without a second thought."

Eve tilted her head with a small smile. "That's stretching it, don't you think?"

"When it comes to Train?" Sven cocked his gun. "Absolutely not."

Eve stood up and walked to him, looking at the disassembled pieces scattered across the table. She pointed, "What's this device?"

"Huh?" Sven looked down, "Ah, that's an earphone. Annette told me about it a few weeks ago and after a little research I decided to make one." He picked it up and slipped it onto her ear as an example.

She tentatively touched it, "It hangs on!"

"Yep," Sven grinned. "It's a work in progress, so I'm not sure that it would work. Actually, I haven't tried it out yet."

"Why don't we?"

"What?"

"Here," she smiled at him. "I can go into the next room and you can try to send a transmission to me. That way we'll know if it works or not."

"Alright," he pulled a laptop out of his suitcase as Eve bounced into the next room and closed the door behind her. After installing the system and establishing the connection, Sven spoke into the small microphone attached to his computer: "Eve, can you hear me?"

"Hardly," he voice was low over the speakers of the computer. "You're voice is so small. If it weren't for the silence of this room, I doubt I would hear you at all."

"It's probably just warming up," Sven responded as he noted her voice was steadily growing louder. "Say something else…uh…how did you find the library?"

"A tour guide showed me," she responded. "You're voice is more audible now."

"Yeah, it seems everything's fine." He then paused, "I wasn't aware that this city had tour guides."

Eve, inside the dark silence of her room, sat on the bed and looked outside over the black, silhouetted rooftops through the open French window. "I don't believe there are," she said. "It was just a random person whom had saved me from a suspicious looking character, and on query he led me to the public library."

She flinched when Sven slammed open the door into the room, and light flooded in. "How come you hadn't told me?" he yelled, "Suppose that person was suspicious himself?"

"I doubt it. He was a nice person: I sensed no hostility from him at all. What's the problem, Sven? I'm here and alright, aren't I?"

"Well, yes…" he admitted, his shoulder's slumping as his arms fell from the opposing frames of the doorway. "But you can't be so naïve in trusting people, Eve. Not—"

"I know that!" she snapped, "But I also know how to judge people at first impression, therefore I won't be in harm's way." She smiled at him gently. "Train's nickname for you suits."

Sven flinched, almost ashamed as his nickname "Sven-daddy" grew more and more popular. "Anyway, Eve," he held the handle of the door, preparing himself to leave. "Get some sleep, alright? Tomorrow we begin our hunt."

She nodded and he closed the door.

…

Even Sven had to retire eventually, and when the clock struck one in the morning, he gave up waiting for Train and fell into a heavy sleep as soon as he hit the sheets.

The agile sweeper swung into the room half an hour later. _There were more than I assumed, _he thought, looking over his shoulder. _I don't even think I got them all, and none of them trailed after Rinslet once we separated. Am I their only target?_

"You're a hard catch, Heartnet," a steady female's voice filled the room and Train flinched once the lamp turned on to reveal a young woman in a black overcoat sitting with her legs crossed in the plush seat across from him, a cup and saucer in her hands as she sipped delicately.

"The ancient records always lacked in data where you were considered."

What shocked Train the most was that this woman looked exactly like Number One, Sephira Arks, the prestigious leader of the Time Guardians. And yet, he reminded himself, to _look the part _was different than actually _being the person. _

And Arks having been his superior for two years four years ago, he knew well enough that this woman was _not _Sephira.

"Who are you?" he asked, standing equally on his feet and keeping his voice low so as not to disturb his partners in their rooms.

The woman smiled and set down her tea. "I should have known that you would recognize the difference between me and Sephira. Can you guess who I am?"

"I've never met or heard of you, sorry to say," Train responded with a grim smirk. "Should I?"

"No, and for that I'm content. That means that the _anomaly _has not come in contact with you."

Train arched an eyebrow at the stressed term. "Anomaly?" he repeated.

"Train?" a soft voice broke over the silence.

He cursed.

Eve was standing at the doorway of her bedroom, sleepy eyes seeing everything in a haze as she scanned the room. "Why is Sephira here?"

"She's not…" Train trailed off when the woman stood to her feet.

"I'm not Sephira, I'm afraid," she said kindly. "And I'm also sorry to say that you Eve, under the instruction of the New Chronos Order and by the hands of the Time and Space Guardians, you are to be eliminated for the greater good of this world."

And her cutlass was drawn in an instant.

"Please, do not hold any emotions of hostility towards us."

And the blade curved down…

"_Eve!"_

…

**Ah, didn't I choose a delightful spot to end the chapter? Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.**

**Sorry to say, reviews affect the publication of my chapters this time, unlike before. Therefore, unless I get at least two reviews each time a chapter is submitted, the story won't appear on at all.**

**Isn't that ghastly? *grins evilly***


	3. Relation to the Other

Chapter Three: Relations to the Other

Train's reflexes were sharp, and thankfully sharp enough to stop the blade from hitting its target as he sacrificed the shell of _Hades _from impact several inches from Eve's cheek.

What surprised him was that there was another with an equally as swift a speed as his, and pointed a gun at not-quite-Sephira's head.

Eve glanced up, shocked out of her sleepiness. "Trevaunne?"

"Ah, the Anomaly reveals himself," the woman said with a smile.

Train cursed again, this time with shock as he stared at cattish eyes laden with a killer's intent so ghostly familiar that he almost forgot why his gun was gritting against the orihalcon blade.

"You never quit!" the new face, Trevaunne, yelled as he swung a leg around to hit the woman in her gut with his knee. She leaped back and took her stance, her gaze hardly leaving her targets as her men lined up behind her.

There were only eight: the other six where suffering wounds from the wrong end of Train's gun and fist. Train studied the new-comer from the corner of his eye. A sharp pair of amber eyes beneath dark brown spiky bangs, and his weapon was clutched in his left hand.

"Trevaunne, what are you doing here?" Eve asked, then paused. "Do you know them?"

_Remarkable perception in such short time, Princess, _Train thought as he flexed his fingers on his gun.

"S-sufficient time to outline relations overlaps duration to eliminate targets," Trevaunne said suddenly, then hissed under his breath. "Later, Eve." He summarized.

_Who _was _this kid? _Train thought. _He talks like a damn machine!_

There was a gunshot and Train deflected it.

"Hold your fire!" Sephira—_not _Spehira, Train reminded himself—commanded, her glare locked on one of her men. Sven stumbled out of his room moments later and several cocked guns pointed at him.

"Holy—!" he stumbled back, grabbing his pistol from behind him. "What's going on here?"

"Forgive me," the woman said, stepping forward. "I apologize for the earlier rude attempt: I have been seeking you out for so long that my eagerness got the better of me. Allow me to explain our purpose, if you please, I believe you need to know that much."

"Integrity will not conceal your true ambition," Trevaunnesnarled. "I refuse."

"The option was not directed to you," the woman snapped. "And for now this is a truce. My men and I will stand down for the allotted time required to explain our purpose…as long as you will allow."

Train risked a glance at Sven and Eve.

"I want to listen," Eve said simply.

Sven breathed in deeply, then before he knew it, the attack turned out to be a setting similar to that of a reunion party, save for the treats.

"You can start by saying who you are," Train said clearly, elbows on his knees and _Hades _still in hand. Trevaunne's gun disappeared as he stood in the space beside the seated Eve, who watched the strangers about her keenly. Sven also preferred to stand, and eyed the armored men lined up woodenly behind the seated (not) Sephira, who sipped her tea.

"I think it would be safer to say where they came from," Trevaunne muttered. Train shot him a look, but remained silent.

"We are of an elite group known as the Time and Space Guardians, a division of the New Chronos Order."

"Never heard of it," Sven muttered.

She smiled at him, "At least not yet," she said vaguely and he frowned. "To put it simply, we are from the future by thirty eight years."

Sven's frown deepened as he cursed out loud. "You mean to say that you're time travelers?"

"In a sense, yes," she said seriously, and her look cut through his implied humor. "For us to be here, there had to be a 'trade of space', so to speak, as an example imagine two objects at a reasonable distance away from one another. To switch the location of these objects the space must be changed, therefore as a relation: the space that the apple occupies is replaced by a banana."

"Teleportation?" Eve asked.

The woman smiled and nodded. "So to speak."

_Eve's taking this pretty well though, isn't she? _Train and Sven thought in unison.

"However, for this 'space trade' to undergo to perfection, the balance of mass between the two objects must be identical. Not so much that they have the same weight, but the same molecular amount. That said, a cup and another cup of the exact same mass may undergo teleportation without any damage, however with a cup and a tea pot, the teapot is bound to receive damage as the mass and space that the cup takes up is less, and the exact same mass that the cup has, the teapot must have in the end.

"Needless to say, our teleportation to this time has cost me my deputy, and a good deal of my men. However, I refuse to let them die in vain as I carry out my mission."

"Which is to dispose of Eve," Train caught on.

"That is correct."'

"But what I still don't understand is why? And who are you?" Train demanded, "A clone of Sephira?"

"So to speak," she said. "However, I was manufactured by the science of nanotechnology."

Eve started, and clasped her hands in her lap. This woman… was the same as her?

"Are you saying manufacturing beings using nanotechnology is _normal_ in the future?" Sven yelled.

The woman seemed to piece together her words carefully, "I was manufactured carefully from Sephira Ark's genome for her skill, though I was equipped with a stronger bond to Chronos. In the future, beings such as Miss Eve are not manufactured. They are _born._"

Emotion and shock rang through the trio.

"Even further down from the time of which I come from, almost half of the human population are Bio-Mechas—as they are informally known—and tension arises a war. All of the timeline paradoxes known pinpoint back to Eve, and you, Train Heartnet."

He started, eyebrows risen in question. "Me? I don't have an ounce of nanotechnology in me!"

Her head tilted to the side, "Are you forgetting the Lucifer incident?"

His posture tensed.

"It is true that the nanomachines within your body were less active after the fifth Railgun you used to defeat the 'man who almost became god', but who's to say that they were still not there? Even if you weren't to breed with Eve, that doesn't mean your offspring wouldn't have some amount of nanotechnology within their system."

Train visibly flinched and Eve's gaze shifted.

_Even if, _Sven thought for a moment. _Does that mean…? _"Wait, what about Creed? He has nanotechnology in him as well, probably more so than Train."

"That is true, Volfeid. However, Creed's mental condition outlasted his lifetime, therefore he was less of a struggle to monitor: there was no need to dispose of him."

There was a pause.

"Where does _he_ come in?" Train asked, gesturing to the still alertTrevaunne.

Not-quite-Spehira's eyes flickered to the glaring boy. "I am unaware of how he managed to come to this time, but he was not a part of the plan."

"But who _is _he?" Sven pressed.

Sephira smiled. "Shouldn't you tell them, Heartnet?"

Train frowned. How was he supposed to know?

It was only when Trevaunne responded that he realized she wasn't talking to him…

"I'm Trevaunne Rey Heartnet, Train's son."

…

**I'm having trouble starting chapter five so **_**please**_** don't be upset if chapter four turns out to be disappointing. Also, I end my chapters at cliff hangers (in case you didn't notice) so you might die from the suspense before you could read the next chapter! (lolz, yeah? *couch* I didn't think so either)**

**Just apologizing in advance, please don't throw anything at me. **


	4. Escape Route

Chapter Four: Escape Route

Eve's hair hardened in a barricade around her as Sephira's ebony blade came down, slicing through the hesitant aura of the room in the instant the only threat's tawny eyes gazed at his alleged son.

Train wasted no time as he drew _Hades _in an instant and shot simultaneously as Trevaunne did. Sephira jumped back, deflecting both bullets in an instant and signaled for her men to leap into action. Sven dashed to Eve's side with his suitcase in hand and blocked the bladed attack that was directed towards the small, seemingly defenseless girl.

He grinned beneath the weight of the cloaked assassin. "I'll be your opponent," he hissed and threw the attack off.

Train leaped back in the air flexing as he dodged flying bullets and vaulted over the couch, swinging behind his temporary defensive wall as he reloaded his gun in an instant. Checking the reflection in the glossy exterior, he shot three times, once for each attacker, and peeked to ensure he had hit his targets. Having aimed for only the joints of the armor, that is the elbow, knee, hip and neck, he was bond to severe something severely enough to ensure they wouldn't be fighting anytime soon.

_They aren't _Bio-mechas _like Sephira, then, _he observed as he glanced at the woman who missed Trevaunne's neck by a hair strand's width. _The armored men are just highly trained officials._

He glanced at Eve. She was surrounded by three of them and were handling them well: she flipped over one man by lifting herself quickly over his shoulder, and using that momentum slammed the heel of her bare foot—temporarily metal—into another's head. The third attacked with a thrust of his blade while he avoided the path of his comrade's stumbling to regain footing. The knife pierced the space where Eve had been before she ducked, and a powerful uppercut with her hand-morphed-hammer sent him flying into the roof.

Train smirked. _Lil' Princess is faring well, _he thought, then randomly pointed his revolver upwards, where in caught the helmeted jaw of a soldier about to attack him from above. He froze, the knife above him stabbed thin air.

"Don't even think about it," Train warned, before grabbing the fabric of the coat and flipping his attacker over his head, smashing in the helmet with an underplay of 'Claw'.

Sensing another attack coming in from his left he swung _Hades _around, blinking absently when it collided with an identical revolver. He looked at its wielder and eased when he was faced with Trevaune's equally as startled gaze.

"Weren't you fighting…?" Train trailed off.

"Sephira?" He finished, then frantically glanced up. Between Eve and Sven, those who refused to back down were being forced to their knees, and Sephira's clone overlooked it absently as she prepared a device strapped on her left wrist. Her crystal blue eyes flickered up to Eve.

Trevaunne cursed and Train hesitated once _something _launched from the device and hit Eve's arm. The said young girl yelped and stared at the wires wrapped around her hands, wrist and down, and pulled experimentally while attempting to cut it with her blade-formed-forefinger. She recognized the material as soon as it refused to detached from her bruising skin.

_Orihalcon?_

"Eve!" Trevaunne aimed.

Train instantly recognized the faint glow and crackle along the second _Hades' _exterior, and the bristle of the red ropes at its ends were next to nostalgic. He sprinted to Sven's side just as Trevaunne pulled the trigger.

_Railgun!_

The wall overlooking the road was shattered mercilessly in a thunderous explosion as the electricity propelled bullet drove catalyzing energy into everything it touched. In the fast formed clouds four figures leaped down seven meters to the ground below and took off running. Train looked over his shoulder. Sven was dragging the coughing Eve along and Trevaunne was bringing up the rear, panting slightly but keeping up a pace as he watched the scene behind him.

_No wonder they want me dead, _Train thought as he searched for the car ahead of them. _That railgun that took him seconds to charge was almost as powerful as the one I used to take down Creed!_

And he had seen Sephira take a direct hit through her abdomen before it hit the orihalcon strings, and though the bullet itself was severed to pieces, the concentrated energy seemed to burn it away before the metal could conduct it.

But aside from the temporary victory, what was that device?

An hour out of town, the route they took was the less popular highway that curved around the rock cliff looking over an ocean now painted black in the ungodly hour of morn. Sven was anxiously hunched over the wheel, constantly glancing at his rear view mirror and his grip deathly though his bruises and minor injuries complained.

Eve spoke over her shoulder as she remained the lookout: "I don't see anyone giving the chase, neither by road or air."

"Did you check along the cliff?" Train asked in a gruff voice.

Sven was about to retort the unlikelihood of men travelling at over a hundred kilometers per hour while along a steep rocky mass, but taking in consideration these particular enemies, he kept his mouth shut.

"I don't see anyone," Eve responded and sat properly in her seat. "I think we're safe for the time being."

Train blew out a sigh and closed his eyes. "Still, don't stop even when dawn breaks."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Sven muttered through his cigarette.

Eve looked at Trevaunne leaned against the window, his breathing shallow.

"Are you injured?" she asked cautiously.

"No, just tired," he responded with a weak smirk. "That was my fourth railgun for the day."

"So you're at your limit?" Train asked. "Or are you different from me?"

"Not so much; I can shoot using railgun again but it'll probably drain me to a ridiculous extent that I'll have to remain bedridden for a week." He glared at Train. "You hadn't warned me about _that _until _after_ I tried it."

Train grinned. "The most effective way to learn is through your mistakes."

"Yeah, you're the same even now," he said with a faint smile, though he seemed more annoyed than anything else.

After a pause, Eve broke the silence: "Trevaunne, that odd device that Sephira—not, Sephira—used to hold me with those orihalcon strings. What was it?"

"A device that they called 'Web'," he responded, looking through the window. "By capturing a Bio-Mech with not-so-easy-to-break wires that's also a conductor, she could send a large amount of electricity into your body that would prevent your nanomachines from acting, and also knock you out as an easy capture. It's a well used weapon during the war, I heard." He nodded to Train, "That's also why they want you dead."

Train started.

Trevaunne continued, "Unlike Eve, your nanomachines purposely _conduct _electricity, therefore the effect of Web on someone like you is little to none. Saya and I…"

"Saya?" Train yelled, staring at the startled Trevaunne.

"My sister," he responded quietly. "Saya is my nee-chan."

Train looked down, smiling softly. _Saya…huh?_

"Out of curiosity, how many siblings do you have?" Eve asked.

"Including Saya, four," he responded instantly.

Train started again as he caught Sven's teasing smirk. "Ah, so you've been _busy_ Train…"

"Sh- shut up!"

On the cliff edge, dark eyes peered down at the speeding car, and his gaze followed it to no fault. "I have them in position," he spoke into the ear-phone. "Should I disengage fire?"

"Easy, Wong," a voice crusted by static said with amusement in his voice. "You'll get your chance. Just follow them at a mile's radius."

"Understood."

And the man in scanty armor watched with an unnerving smirk…


	5. Humor before the Battle

Chapter Five: Humor before the Battle

"Are we slowing down?"

"No, we're speeding up."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"Sven, we're slowing down."

The irritable Sven glared at his juniors staring at him. "Yes, we're slowing down!" he admitted, "Is that so hard to believe?"

"We're out of gas, aren't we," Train muttered with an awkward smirk as he folded his arms behind his head.

"We would have gotten more if _your kid _hadn't caused us to leave the city," Sven retorted.

"Oi! Sephira was there before Trev-chan was, and if it weren't for him _your adopted daughter _wouldn't be in the backseat right now!"

The said teenagers watched as the conversation was thrown back and forth, Eve's eyes darting between the two.

"Are they often like this?" the younger Heartnet beside her asked.

"Yes," she said in an indifferent voice, "especially when close to death, capture or simply driven by hunger."

"Speaking of which…" Train muttered with a suddenly sick voice, and his arms wrapped around his groaning stomach. "I'm starving!"

"Weren't you treated to a buffet before you left the city?"

"Rinslet isn't that generous…" Train moaned, leaning back in his seat.

Sven's brow twitched with more of a flash of confusion than irritation of going out with a thief, again. "Rins? Was she also attacked by those men?"

"No, they didn't even give her a second glance," Train responded feigning sickness. He glanced at his partner. "Why'd you ask?"

"The Time and Space Guardians are only set on one goal," Trevaunne spoke up in a clear and somewhat grim voice. "Once given a mission they try to complete it quickly and effectively with little damage and casualties as possible. That said, only Train and Eve will be the ones to gain the most damage."

"That's reassuring," Eve muttered sarcastically into her palm as she let her posture droop.

Finally, the car trickled to a stop. The atmosphere was silent but heavy with restrained emotion, and Sven felt a glare stabbing his back.

"At least…" Sven started.

"Ours is no situation in which one can be optimistic," Trevaunne interrupted. Sven nodded grimly.

…

Eve took to the sky, searching the horizon for signs of civilization while Sven lit his cigarette and turned the knob on the car's radio.

Train was walking about on the dusty end of the road and Trevaunne was lying on his back in the moderately tall grass, sheathing and unsheathing his _Hades._

"…the City of Rosseau was attacked yesterday at three in the morning, the five star hotel _Le'meing _mysteriously exploded on its eastern wing." The reporter's voice was lined with static, "Local officials are led to believe that it was a terrorist attack, however there is no tangible evidence to support this assumption, nor are there any trace of those who caused the attack. There were no casualties nor deaths, as all residents were evacuated before the hotel was assessed by the fire brigade…"

"Sephira and her men are on the move then," Train said in a low reflective voice.

"What?" Sven turned to him.

"Seph's clone took a direct hit from Trev-chan's railgun, and most of her men were injured, not to mention the ones I took out earlier. Either they had back up or quick recovery."

"They're assassins," Trevaunne said as he buckled his revolver onto his hip sling. "Assessing their environment to the conclusion that they must first conceal their identity, the average media would be inadequate in gaining useful data on our attackers."

Train and Sven stared at him. "You sound like a machine."

He flinched. "It's next to natural," he cleared his throat before continuing, "I work with machines almost all the time, so I have to learn their jargon otherwise I'll be misinterpreted. Tori teases my speech pattern all the time."

"Tori?" Sven asked.

"My twelve year old sister."

Sven sent the flustering Train another sly smile. They all turned to the roof of the car when Eve landed with a light _thud._

"There's a town that way," she said and pointed, "but I think it would take us hours to get there without the car."

"Who says we're not going with the car?" Sven asked as he helped Eve down to the ground.

"What do you mean by that?"

"We're towing this car to the city! No way I'm leaving it here!"

Train groaned. "You're going to be the death of us, Sven!"

"I agree with Sven," Eve said. "We wouldn't want to leave any traces that we've been through this area."

"I concur," Trevaunne said with a palm raised.

Train turned to him. "Traitor."

His son grinned. "Though in a sense, Train has a point as well. Towing the car all the way to the city that is undoubtedly a far distance by foot will exhaust us so that we won't be able to defend ourselves if necessary, not to mention it would waste time: the Guardians are on our tail as we speak."

"So…then what do we do with the car?" Sven was afraid to ask.

"Disassemble it and scatter the pieces," Trevaunne said with a straight and serious face, his voice level.

"Absolutely not!" Sven protested.

"Bury it," Eve said in a similar fashion to Trevaunne.

"Stop saying strange things! No!"

"Dump it in oil and set it on fire before breaking it apart and burying the pieces across the landscape," Train said with a grinning and obviously teasing voice.

Sven trembled with anger and made strangling gestures in the air.

"That's not a bad idea," Eve said softly as she eyed the lighter that was hidden in the glove compartment.

"Yes, quite a magnificent mental image," Trevaunne agreed, staring at the car.

"Don't start making decisions on your own," Sven growled.

"What do you suggest we do with it then, Sven?" Train asked him seriously.

…

It was by sheer luck and coincidence that a tow truck happened to pass by and was heading to the city. The truck driver was a middle aged woman with a strong voice and attitude, and was talking up a storm to her half listening guests.

"Really, that town is too far away from everything," she said with a laugh. "But all the way out here, my husband can't find me!"

Train had his head stuck out of the window, a hand holding his bangs out of his face that was discoloured between green and yellow from the movement of the truck.

"You're turning different colours," Trevaunne told him with amusement clear in his voice.

"I've read about a reptile that could do that," Eve said. "And also the local people of the area in which that creature lives eat it during their festivals."

Train covered his mouth. "Let's not talk about food for a while," he managed.

"That's a surprise," Sven grinned.

"Speaking of surprises…" the truck driver began and Sven flinched.

The story went on for the full half an hour before they pulled up to the designated town. It was quaint and traditional, though it was agreed by all of them that it would be best to continue moving.

"We can't thank you enough," Sven told the loquacious woman.

"It's not a problem; I fix cars like this as a hobby. No charge! Just come by my place in about two to three days and it'll be brand new!"

She waved and then drove off.

"That was very lucky," Trevaunne said as he watched the truck drive off.

"I think it was because the woman enjoyed Sven's company." Eve said with a finger to her mouth.

"You mean to say she had a thing for Sven?" Train asked as he grinned to the older sweeper.

The said sweeper ignored the comment and lit his cigarette, blowing out a fume of smoke after a deep breath. "Enough of that. We'd better recover: get some new clothes to get those men off our backs, probably drive for hours on end…"

"We can plan later, let's eat!"

"I agree."

"I concur."

Sven sighed as Train led the teenagers off to the nearest restaurant. "Am I the only one taking these people seriously?" He then paused and glanced over his shoulder. Granted, he wasn't as perceptive as Train (nor his son, he assumed) but he refused to be called paranoid when he felt an ominous presence, and this diminutive aura was line with murderous intent.

He shrugged it off uneasily and trotted up to the trio who had located a seafood place.

Rugato Won watched them from the rooftop. "It's been too long, Train."

…

**Author's Note: I'm aware that in the previous chapter Rugato's last name was 'Wong', but after a little re-reading I realized I got the name wrong. Sorries!**

**And I got eight reviews already? Aw, you guys are too nice.**

**This chapter, it may be complained, might have been lacking in action. But I had to lead up to something, after all, I love throwing you people on the cliff. Read on, read on!**


	6. Ambush!

Chapter Six: Ambush

…

Eve sat upright from her sleep, eyes wide with trauma and breathing shallow and erratic. She glanced out of the window of the car: the moon was full and beamed down on the roofs of the town. They were parked slightly on its outskirts, and hadn't it been for the exhaustion of the previous night, they would have been farther than that.

Eve wished they had been.

"Train?" the passenger seat was empty and Sven was snoring softly before the wheel.

Across from her she heard Trevaunne shuffling and he leaned on his elbows as he looked at Eve's panicked expression.

"What troubles you, Eve?"

"Where's Train?" her voice was full of more fear than he had ever heard it. It shocked him awake in an instant as he glanced around and gazed through the windows. He cursed. "That is a sensible query."

"Sven!" Eve shouted and shook the slumbering man violently. He bolted awake, voice slurred as he asked: "Eve? Why…? What?"

"We have to go!" she reached for the keys in his pocket and once she grasped them, leaned forward for the ignition.

Trevaunne grasped her shoulder. "Eve! What about Train?"

"He's not the one in danger!" she responded frantically.

"What? Train's missing?" Sven adjusted his hat as he turned the key and started up the car, taking over from the trembling Eve. She sat down but looked about anxiously, and Trevaunne grabbed her shoulder.

"Eve! Get a grip and talk: what's the matter?"

And she looked half possessed when she glanced at him sideways and the nightlight darkened her features. In a whisper: "They're here to kill us."

…

Train walked down the narrow way, eyes closed and a half smirk on his face as he listened to his footsteps echo off of the damp concrete walls. _Hades _gleamed din the moonlight, fearlessly unsheathed and clutched in easy going hands that remained steady from the years of familiar bloodshed. His stride was steady and consistent and the one hand in his right pocket reflected nonchalance.

"You seem convinced as though you would defeat me," the voice ahead of him said.

Train kept his eyes closed, and his smile widened rather than waver from the eerily dark voice. "Why not? I've pulled my gun this time."

"I see you're taking the fight to a new level," Rugato Won stepped into the light, and if Heartnet had chosen to open his eyes, he would have seen the silver armor around his legs and armed lined in mechanical patterns and through a spinal piece linked to his headset, closely secured wires were connected to his consciousness.

"Do you mind if we speed this up?" Train grinned, resting _Hades _on his shoulder. "I've got a lil' princess to guard."

Won took his stance and Train heard it. "Trust me: you will not be disappointed."

Train grinned. "Hopefully."

Won sprinted forward in a blurred dash with an arm raised to strike Train head on, fingers lined together like a blade and his arms firm. He would aim for the next for an easy kill…_clang!_

_Crack._

His fingers met black metal…no, ebony orihalcon of his gun. In the smallest moment of time that a human body could possibly react, Train moved faster, his gun blocking his face and targeted neck, his eyes still closed.

Rugato grimaced. "You're taking me too lightly."

"I simply don't want to be at too much of an advantage," Train responded.

In a peak of rage Rugato let loose a barrage of offensive attacks, and by skipping steps backwards, Train deflected and dodged each and every one, letting comments slip off his tongue while keeping that infuriating grin.

At last, Won leaped back, flexing his bruised fingers, the only part of him other than his torso that wasn't encased in metal.

"Don't tell me that you're only reconsidering now," Train teased as he settled into his previous uncaring position. "Let me tell you; you aren't the only one who had an upgrade."

Rugato had to admit to himself that he took too much pride in his new form against the living legend Black Cat that had yet to be surpassed—even in his time.

He took to the sky and watched Train shift, his face becoming sober a moment before he smirked again and blocked a heavy hit driven from momentum and gravity directly over his head. Feline agility provided him to miss following consecutive attacks by less than inches, and it was only when Train had the opportunity to attack his open side and drew back that Won noticed Train was playing with him. That infuriated him further as he tensed for another attack.

He paused milliseconds before moving, and Train's blind perception noticed, causing him to frown. _I see what he's doing… _he thought. _How naïve. He's underestimated me: thinking that by his slack position that would unnerve me. The fool._

Rugato shifted into a stance. _Let's see how he does against my newest developed technique._

It was through hours of straining to hear individuals' breathing during their visits to crowded cities that Train had learnt how to see through his ears.

His practice made night easier to interpret. Not only was the environment dropped into a sea of silence, the night itself was simply _quieter. _He could feel the air was at more ease without the frivolous and erratic movement of diurnal activity. It was those subtle _buzzes _around Rugato's moving figure that made him easy to doge.

Compared to Shiki's warrior bug, Won was slow.

Compared to the speed of sound: even slower.

But Train had to admit that the form Rugato took up was started to diminish. He wasn't moving, and Train held his breath and ignored the steady heartbeat as he strained to hear where his enemy was.

He ducked when a hand slashed through the space he had just been in. _That attack was from behind! How…?_

He rolled forward as he avoided another hit, and held _Hades _to his face almost a millisecond too late as he heard the fist pierce through air faster than he anticipated. Rugato's voice seemed to boom in his will enhanced ears:

"As I thought, you're depending on your hearing." The weight of the attack lessened, then three rough hits against his gun sent him skidding backwards. "It's time to show me all of your potential, Black cat. I'm expecting an effective warm up from you." His voice was too cool for Train's liking.

He leaped out of an attack that hit the metal crate he had been previously leaning against, and Train used those echoes to navigate himself to the roof. The light breeze confused him for a moment before he noticed Won was behind him again. He stepped out of the way and slid down the angle of the roof beneath the arm.

_Should I start using my sight? _Train thought frantically as he tried gaining some distance on their new terrain: a flat concrete roof Train assumed was a warehouse. _Using it simultaneously as my hearing will disadvantage me more than benefit._

He crouched beneath an attack and swung his leg around.

_Not to mention that I haven't learnt to percept optical illusions quickly enough…_

He chocked down blood when Rugato kicked him across his torso immediately after making Train block a fist with his _Hades._

The gunman collided with the wall behind him and the disturbing impact rang through his ears. He could sense Won standing several yards away.

"Surely you can do better than that," and Train could hear the smirk in his voice.

_Enough of this, _Train scolded himself mentally. _I'd better learn fast!_

He blinked twice as his eyes caught the moonlight, and arched his back slightly so that his arms almost touched the ground. Everything seemed to be anticipating attack, tense yet at ease and agile, just like a true cat.

His golden irises reflected green in the pale light.

Won remained silent as Train pointed his gun. Three consecutive shots ricocheted off of the silver-like armor, and Won frowned at the three that followed, none of which were aimed for him.

"Where are you…?"

Train smirked.

The all bullets that deflected from the metal surfaces of their environment impacted Won's spine, and the said assassin yelped as blood dripped from his shallow wound that grazed his side.

"That's a pity, I was hoping it would be a direct hit," Train said with obvious humor.

Won stared at the young man before him. _What's with this guy…?_

His stance was wide, his knees slightly bent, back arched to allow his fingers to graze the ground and _Hades _was held loosely in his left hand. It was suffice to say that he was still dependent on his hearing, but his line of sight somehow said otherwise.

They remained perfectly still, looking slightly away from Won and yet seeing everything.

"I wish I had thought of this technique at Lunafort Tower," Train suddenly said. "I could have defeated Creed in a heartbeat, though I'm not regretting what I did."

"What are you…?"

"But at least it was useful at all so I didn't have to waste it on the small fry," he continued, then suddenly said in a loud voice: "Are you going to attack or not?"

His eyes still not quite seeing him. Won braced himself.

"I'll move then," Train darted forward as promised, and attacked with lightening reflexes, piercing Won's defense in an instant and kicking him back against the metal wall with incredible strength.

_Where did this come from?_

"Like I thought, you're also dependent on that new technique of yours," Train said as he stood erectly, though his eyes remained the same, glowing green with stifled killer's intent. "Unlike me though, you had perfected it." He chuckled slightly as he raised his gun. "But you were also too reliant on that nanotech- armor of yours. That's why I took that out first."

"H-how could you know the weakness of my armor with your eyes closed?" Won stuttered, tasting acid and metal in his mouth.

"I could hear it," Train said vaguely, "you always kept your back to me, always kept your torso in a certain line, your strength was always coming from your back. I feel guilty for aiming at such a weak spot, but I want to wrap this up quickly. Sven'll be mad if I'm not there by morning."

He began to pull the trigger…

"Are you familiar with the N.S. serum?" came the sudden question.

Train glared at him. He'd heard that phrase somewhere…it was a distant memory, like around the time he first heard of the reappearance of Creed, first met Eve…first time he heard about nanotechnology. He glared, holding his gun firmly. "Somewhat," he growled. "What about it?"

Won looked up at him. "I was asked the very same thing before they sent me on this mission. Sephira…"

"She's still alive?"

"She was never hurt," Won responded. "She's not like your Eve; she's an upgrade from that. She's the result of the very same N.S. serum that they're going to use on Eve."

"_What_?"

He froze when an explosion sounded behind him and the sky was lit up by a fiery mass of smoke and heat. Train felt a wave of hot air wash over him as he stared at the mushroom cone in horror.

"It seems as though the battle has already started."

"Bastard!" Train dragged him up and slammed him against the wall, mercilessly shooting through the armor into his shoulder. Won gritted his teeth in pain.

"What's going to happen to Eve?"

"I already told you, didn't I?" He growled through clenched teeth: "They're going to apprehend her using the N.S. serum."

…

Train didn't care if his legs gave way under him. The delayed injury from his fight with Won left him shaky and his back ached. That was nothing compared to his fight with the man turned 'god' two years previously, but he could feel it affecting his speed as he vaulted from rooftop to rooftop towards the now vanishing explosion. _Hades _was trembling with anger in his palm.

_They had used Won as a damned _decoy_!_

Without Train around, the group was bound to lose a strong asset. He wasn't sure how affective Trevaunne would be, but he hoped that his future self had the idiocy to train his son from a young age.

_Just hang on, I'm nearly there…_he winced once his throbbing side reminding him of his position.

_It's just fractured. I won't stop until every bone in me is broken!_

His target was coming up fast… it was then he saw the helicopter and heard Sven's shouting.

"_Eve! _You're not a _demon!"_

_Demon? _That brought him back to the little miss in black…why here…what was going on!

He saw Sephira with her cutlass gritting against the injured Trevaunne's _Hades _his amber eyes glowing with rage as his strength was proving to be on par with Sephira even in this state. Sven was slumped against a wall; his white suit tainted by burns, dirt and blood, and his glasper eyes was weak before the girl standing before him, her arm raised and open as though she would strike him.

Train had to act _now!_

His gun caught the ebony blade and the shot he fired had hit Eve, and with regret, he admitted it was intentional. Eve dropped to the ground screaming, holding her limp bloody arm in anguish. Trevaunne who was pushed back from the sudden arrival, stared between Train and Eve, then Train and Sephira.

He winced as he attempted to stand.

"Stay down, Trevaunne," Train instructed, his eyes still on Sephira. "Your injuries are too much. You've done a good job so far."

"You…you shot Eve," his son said in a bewildered voice.

The words had an emotional impact on Train and he flinched, increasing his pressure against the stubborn orihalcon cutlass.

"He had no choice, given the circumstances," Sephira said softly.

"You already injected the N.S. serum into her?"

Sephira hadn't responded and that was good enough as a yes. "Eve!" she suddenly yelled and Train jumped back in alarm as a new blade sliced between them. Eve landed before him, eyes wide with terror and pain, but her arm glowed faintly; it was already healing.

"We're retreating," Sephira instructed.

The ladder descended from the hovering massive craft above them and the two blondes disappeared into the darkness.

"Train!" Sven yelled. "What are you waiting for?"

"Go after them!" Trevaunne yelled.

"It makes no sense…" Train said under his breath as he look up.

"What do you mean makes no sense?" Trevaunne shouted, as he stumbled to his feet. "We've got to…!"

Train hit him over his head with his gun and his son fell unconscious over his shoulder. Sven watched aghast, conflicted between the vanishing Eve and the seriousness of his partner.

"Anymore shouting from you and you'll end up like him," Train growled, and Sven understood he meant it.

He gazed up towards the smoldered stars against the bright burning evidence of Trevaunne's railgun.

…

**A/N: I was watching 'Appleseed' today and got in the mood for some serious action, hence you get what you see here. **

**I'm touched by the comments I got so far, and I'll make sure not to disappoint you!**

**P.S.: A competition for those who want to guess who Trevaunne's mother is! Hints in the next chapter!**


	7. Gun to Gun

**Author's Note: **The most embarrassing thing happened to me in chapter six! I'm sure that I would have noticed it waaaaay later if a reviewer (kitty, thank you very much, you're a life saver) hadn't told me a posted chapter six from "They Grow Up so Fast" rather than chapter six of "Rebirth of Railgun"! Even though I've been on this site for a year now, I still make ridiculous mistakes…I'm sorry. I corrected it though, so if you already read chapter six and the title isn't "Ambush", then please read it over.

Gosh, that's so embarrassing. This will never happen again! Ugh, reviews please.

…

Chapter Seven: Gun to Gun

…

When Sven came to, the first thing he noticed was his body screeching soundlessly from wounds that threw his memory back to the previous night. He forced down a grunt in his awakening consciousness, and shifted slightly in the hard seat that was tilted back slightly.

The second thing he noticed was that he was in the car, and that the car was moving. Yet _he _wasn't driving, who was and _where_ to were his primary interests. His let out a short groan in pain as he stirred further.

"Easy, Sven, you'll reopen something," that familiar voice came from his left and light brown eyes drifted in that direction, revealed to see the grinning Train. "Slept well?"

"Well enough," Sven managed as he sat upright and tilted his seat to brace against. "Where's your kid?"

"Backseat," Train said with a nod, and through the rear view mirror they could see the shape of an adolescent bandaged and curled beneath the thick red sheet from their light luggage.

Sven experimentally opened the palm of his splintered arm. He could feel a dull throbbing and frowned.

"I wasn't sure if it was fractured or simply bruised," Train confessed, having seen Sven's concern over his treated arm. "How do you feel?"

"Sick to my stomach and I've got a splitting headache."

His partner over the wheel chuckled. "Pills are in the glove compartment."

Sven reached for them, casting the now twenty five year old marksman a sideways glance. His right arm was bandaged and pressed against the left side of his rib cage, and thus only one hand was on the wheel. He'd changed into his long sleeved black jersey: his former shirt was covered in blood from lugging Sven into the car.

Sven himself was completely blood free, and he was left to assume Trevaunne was as well.

At last, after a period of fingers searching blindly through the space before him, he found the tiny capsule of bleach white pills. "Ugh, I hate these types," he muttered as he uncapped it awkwardly and threw two down his throat. "They make you feel drowsy after three hours."

"You're going to need some sleep," Train said.

"Huh?"

"We'll be travelling for a while, so it'll be best to recover our strength if we want to get back lil' Princess."

Sven flinched, remembering the empty look in Eve's eyes after the curious colloid was forcefully shoved into her system. She looked like a puppet held by the strings of Sephira's words, and the inability to express free will crushed Sven.

Train wasn't surprised when Sven cried out in sudden outburst: "You know where they are?"

Amber eyes watched him carefully, speculating whether he should relieve information that would invoke unwanted reaction in him. After all, Sven-daddy was a lot more different than the Sven Train knew before they met Eve.

Sven caught the message and calmed down.

"I've got a hunch," Train said slowly.

"You mean to say you're not sure?" Sven's voice threatened to rise again, but Train remained silent, his eyes on the road yet his mind somewhere else.

Sven slumped back in his seat. "Are you going to at least tell me where we're going?"

"Lunatique."

"Eve's creator?" Sven asked suddenly. "Why?"

"We're going up against Bio-Mechs, Sven, people who are powered by nanotechnology like Eve. It would be best to learn everything we can before plunging into the situation, right?"

A smirk dotted the end of his question with a curve of emotion, and Sven huffed, tilting his hat over his eyes. "Wake me up when we get there."

"Sure."

…

Trevaunne woke up with a jolt that sent static rippling through his healing body. Most of his bruises had vanished already and the only evidence of a battle were his sore muscles and drained energy from firing railgun excessively.

For some reason, seeing his father at an age so close to him, he felt that his trump card was the only ability to rival his father's ability. That confession made him more annoyed: and disappointed in himself. That he didn't trust himself to that extent…

He sat up, the sheet running off him and bangs shifting into shape before his golden glazed eyes. After a brief self inspection, he looked up.

The car was stationary and parked along the highway by an orchard to his left, and to his right were flat green plains of fertile land running all the way to the purple mountains in the distance cutting jagged lines into the healthy blue sky.

He huffed out a sigh and threw the sheet off of him entirely, hopping out of the care without a second thought to his bare feet touching the slightly damp grass beneath him. Everything here was unscarred by battle or even by man; it looked just like the Eden his mother read to him and Tori in their attempt to put their baby brother, Evan, to sleep.

"Trev-chan, you're up."

He turned at the familiar voice and paused, unsure as to how to respond. _Dad? Old man? Train?_

Guilt preferred silence, and he kept his mouth shut as he watched Train bite into an apple. He tossed one to Trevaunne, who caught it in a heartbeat.

"You're reflexes are above average," Train muttered and Trevaunne flinched. "And it's obvious that you've got strength, so why are you so dependent on Railgun? Didn't I teach you other gun techniques?"

Trevaunne looked to the ground in thought, frowning slightly while he reached to bite into the apple. He flinched back when a blur of movement came close to his face and swallowed uneasily as he realized the younger _Hades _was pointed at his face.

"Do you want to live, or die?"

It was in such a dark voice that was almost laughable to Train's ears through nostalgia, but he kept a straight face as he stared at the collective countenance of Trevaunne.

"You're not going to shoot." He said in a wholly convinced voice.

_Hades _clicked as Train readied himself. "Probably not, but I can pull the trigger."

His son ducked as so said, so done, and stared wide eyed as the sky popped with blanks.

"You're mad even at this age!" Trevaunne hissed at him as he bit into the apple.

"How does it taste?"

"What?"

"The fruit."

"Pretty good."

"Food always tastes good after you've been threatened by death. Adrenaline heightens your senses, even taste."

Trevaunne grunted. "That's useful to know," he said sarcastically.

Train glanced at him. That tone was oddly familiar…

"Why didn't you go after Eve?"

The voice was level though the mouth that the sudden words came from trembled, and eyes looked down with smoldered hate. "Why did you shoot her?"

Train sheathed his revolver and almost glared once Trevaunne grabbed his jersey in rage. "If Eve's gone, then what happens to me?"

Train frowned. Then in a low voice: "What?"

His son stepped back. "Forget it."

Trevaunne walked towards the orchard, a hand in pocket and Train could see it clenching and unclenching into a fist through the folds in his jeans' pocket. He paused by a tree and leaned against it momentarily, as though in thought.

Train smirked. "Trev-chan," he called in a clear voice.

"What?" came the irritable reply.

"I never taught you gun-to-gun combat, did I?"

Finally, interest similar to his own gleaming in those sharp tawny eyes and curiosity form a smirk on his face. "What?"

…

The silence of nature was interrupted by the occasional _clang _of orihalcon, and the yelp of a defeated Trevaunne as he fell beneath Train's strength. Once again, the revolver was pointed at him from the angle that he was growing accustomed to.

"Keep your balance in your footing," Train instructed. "Rely on your strength, but also on your posture. Knocking an opponent down is much harder if he's grounded than if he's standing casually."

Trevaunne swung his leg around to kick the weapon out of his face and jumped to his feet in a heartbeat, ducking slightly so that the smooth arc of Train's attack went over his head and hit the waiting twin gun in Trev's hand, and in their resistance Trevaunne flicked his wrist and turned his arm to point it at Train while also keeping his opponent's _Hades _pointed past him.

Trevaunne smirked.

"Smart," Train commended and suddenly kicked him back, the nineteen year old who blocked a direct hit to his torso with his arm in the nick of time. He glared while in his crouch.

"Don't forget that this is personal contact, Trevaunne," Train reminded him. "Keep in mind that we're also at point blank range. That said, we haven't even started _shooting _yet."

"Then why don't we commence with that stage in our training?" Trevaunne asked between breaths.

Train grinned. "Because you're not ready yet."

Trevaunne stared at him flatly, obviously disappointed by the response and agitated at the same time. He ran forward and feigned an attack with his gun before bringing around his left fist aimed for Train's jaw… it hit his palm.

Train frowned, "You're left handed? Then why don't you use _Hades _in your left?'

Train's smirk was reflected in his son's humor, "Why don't you?" at that moment he brought up his leg and kicked Train in the chest, pushing himself off at the same time. They both landed in a crouch.

"Huh," Traim breathed, winded. "Where'd you learn that?"

"I improvised," he responded. "Are you ready to shoot?"

Train smiled, stood and aimed. "You asked for it."

_Bang!_

…


	8. Beginning of Unpleasantries

Chapter Eight: Beginning of Unpleasantries

…

"_Eve you're not a demon!"_

"I am… the…"

"_Eve, keep Sven at bay. That's the role of the demon, no?"_

"I am the…"

"_What are you waiting for? Go after them!"_

"I am the de…"

_Bang!_

Eve jumped out of her light slumber as she felt contact on her injured arm and heard the echoes of the bullet that was heading her way…she screamed as her blade transformed arm sliced through air in predictable random movements, and her breathing rough hisses in between lethal swings of a weapon at a nano-width's precision.

She froze when her organic metal hit the ebony alloy. Friction caused sparks to dance between the gritting weapons, and Sephira held her cutlass steady, peering into the empty wide irregularly pigmented eyes.

"Eve," she said softly. "There are no enemies here. Stay your hand."

She felt the force of the young bio-weapon ease, and soon it was a fragile hand that fell to the side of the possessed Eve.

Sephira sheathed her sword.

"Why is it that you use such a common weapon when you could create one yourself in an instant?"

Sephira's clone half glared at the white cloaked man who stepped onto the platform.

"It's a practice of tactics, doctor," she replied. "And as I am a part of Sephira Arks herself, I feel attached to this blade, therefore I use it more readily."

"Hm," the stranger paused. "It's a pity that your abilities go to waste. Why, if you had more trust in your body, you wouldn't have had to seek me for you healing."

Sephira bristled slightly, but stayed her rage. "My injury was beyond my control. It was inflicted by the infamous railgun."

"Yes, I heard about that," he replied, and circled Eve a moment before looking at Sephira behind gleaming spectacles. "And that's also why your condition remained confidential. If word broke out that even the greatest Bio-Mech designed was no match for railgun, what do you think would happen to me?"

"I loathe you," she growled in a silent passion of blood lust. "You are protected by my superiors; regardless of what happens to your reputation, your services make you next to untouchable."

The young man smirked as he ran a hand through his short black hair. "I was made from one of the best."

"That insane Doctor's genome should have been left on the streets."

"Now, now," he cooed, grinning, "Is that anyway to talk to your designer? If I'm gone then who would be able to monitor your little _problem, _hm?"

The woman remained silent, though her fingers twitched to grab the hilt of her sword.

"Let me see it."

Slowly, her hands reached for her collar and she removed her coat. The cloned reincarnation of Doctor knelt down to inspect the skin about her waistline; a swirling scar small but discoloured, black skin peeling where it was burnt and the faintest scent of cooked flesh showed her nanomachines were doing a poor job at healing her injury.

He stood to his feet in thought. "You're fine for the time being, but I suggest you don't take another hit like that, especially from Heartnet himself. Who knows what the _original _railgun is like, and the only man who ever experienced it firsthand is unable to utter a word. Who _knows _what that poor man thinks while he just sits there!"

"He _doesn't _think," Sephira replied as she readjusted her clothing. She paused and watched him as he turned his attention to the first Bio-mech ever created. Eve remained perfectly still, though her eyes flickered in response to a threat when Doctor touched her skin or hair, or simply moved his hand near to her.

At last he noticed her injured arm, a glowing red mark on her right shoulder that she refused to let him go near to. He laughed. "Unlike you, Sephira, the so-said greatest Bio-mech ever made, the original, never upgraded, true Bio-mech has higher healing capabilities than you!"

Wrath consumed her as she yelled and drew her sword, and in a smooth powerful arc directed it towards the smiling Doctor. She gave an abrupt gasp when she found her blade in his grasp reinforced with metal. She jumped back. "You're a…!"

Doctor smirked at her. "That aside, Sephira, darling, is Eve under my care for now?"

"Considering she remains under the influence of the N.S. serum," Sephira responded darkly, sheathing her blade.

"Ah, so my arena is allowed to open?"

"Your metaphors are lined with erotic intentions," Sephira growled.

"Not erotic, scientific," he corrected. "It isn't everyday that we are blessed in the presence of a goddess."

"Then you can dissect your little goddess," Sephira said in a new voice, though line with subtle anxiety. "Our orders are to kill her anyway."

"Splendid, simply splendid," Doctor grinned then turned to the waiting Bio-weapon. "Now then, Eve, may we go to the operating room?"

Without response she turned and followed his gesture.

…

"Nothing much has changed," Train commented as the three of them walked up the steps to Tearju's mansion. Her wide open land looked as tranquil as ever, and unlike last time, the door was locked, and the house clean of acrid black clouds.

Sven touched the door bell. "I doubt she'd make any drastic changes in the last three months since we paid her a visit."

"Your visit Aunt Lunatique often?" Trevaunne asked with his hands tucked in his pockets.

"Yeah," Train grinned cattishly. "Almost every four months or when we're driving through the town… wait. _Aunt _Lunatique?"

"Sure, she resides with all of us, or rather us with her. I live here."

Sven frowned.

"Oh, because you're a…what do you call it?" Train bit his lip in exaggerated thought.

"Bio-mech," Trevaunne put in emotionlessly.

"No, that's not the word."

His son seethed, "It's Bio-mech," he pressed.

Tain was about to respond before the white washed door opened and Tearju stepped forward, her hair wrapped in a towel and eyes blinking rapidly without her spectacles. Her face lit up as soon as she saw them. "Oh, you're visiting so soon?"

"Yes, we're sorry to be a bother," Sven said with an apologetic smile.

"It's nothing, I enjoy company," she stepped aside and let them in, curiously looking at Trevaunne before glancing out the door as though she were waiting for a fourth guest. The three men in her home watched heavily and predicted her question: "Where's Eve?"

"About that," Sven said grimly. "I'm afraid that we're here for business this time."

She frowned.

After fearfully but politely rejecting homemade cookies—Trevaunne was _very _familiar with that aspect—the situation was laid out, and Tearju sighed in her palm.

"I sparingly thought of that kind of future," she whispered. "I never imagined that it would lead to a war."

"The Time and Space Guardians want to end that war, therefore they want to kill Eve, and Train as well," Sven continued.

Tearju's eyes flickered up to Train. "Why…? Oh, Lucifer. I had forgotten about that, though I had been too quick to believe that all of the nano-machines were expelled in the last railgun you fired."

"That's not all," Trevaunne spoke up for the first time in the conversation, "railgun is the only Bio-mech propelled ability that cannot be countered, even by the Web weapons that Sven had mentioned before."

"Of course, through _Hades _and the nano-machines that already conduct electricity, the energy will just be channeled to be released again. Though Train, though it's just a hypothesis, I should tell you: too much electric shock can be too much, even for nanotechnology, perhaps too much for orihalcon. Don't bargain your life on it; even I who is quite knowledgeable in the field of nanotechnology wouldn't begin to consider bargaining my life on nano-machines."

Trevaunne looked to the ground in thought, acknowledging the pure orihalcon revolver strapped onto his hip. If he was half of what his father was apart from looks, he could feel that Train would bargain his life anyway: he'd done it before, why not again? And when he glanced over at him, he could sense an aura along those thoughts…

"By the way, who's this?"

He startled, jostled out of his train of thought. Tearju was smiling genuinely at him. "You look like a miniature Train."

Train grinned and leaned on his son, who attempted to shrug him off. "He is," Train said, "he's my son."

Lunatique paused. "You got here the same way the Guardians did?" she asked.

"Yes," Trevaunne responded. "I dressed up as one of Sephira's men and was channeled along to this time via the same route."

"What's your name?"

He looked up at her. "Trevaunne Rey Heartnet."

"Trev-…" she stopped, watching his warning half pleading glance, then smiled. "That's a handsome name."

"Yeah, guess who named him," Train gloated.

"Not _you_, that's for sure," Trevaunne retorted flatly.

Sven chuckled.

"It's getting late, you'll spend the night?" Tearju offered.

"Thanks," Sven tipped his hat with his unharmed arm and stood. "I think I'll retire right away. Those pills I took earlier are taking affect already."

Tearju stood. "Should I show you the way?"

"Don't worry, I know it," Sven called over his shoulder. "Later."

Trevaunne flexed his fingers slightly, edgy to practice the gun technique with his father. He still hadn't had the chance to _thank _him for shooting him, and ironically, in the same place as Eve. Beneath his sleeve he could feel it healing at an inhuman rate and felt slightly drowsy because of it, but still wanted to practice… "Train, I…"

"I'm going to sleep too," Train said suddenly, yawning. He stood and glanced at Trevaunne with a knowing look in his eyes, before passing informal salutations and following the trail that Sven had took.

Tearju glanced at the seething Trevaunne who glared after Train. "You remind me of someone I know," she said gently.

Trevaunne paused, then smiled with a light scoff. "So you've figured it out already," he muttered. "Train is so thick headed and I suspect Sven already noticed the resemblance, but still their so hard to imply to."

"How was Eve, when you last saw her?"

The talented adolescent stared at the ground, a smoldering fire stifled behind his glare. "Shot and infected with the N.S. serum," he growled inconsiderately.

Lunatique's expression expressed shock on separate levels, and Trevaunne instantly regretted it.

"The serum…" she stood to her feet and dashed across the room down a hallway, and with little else to do, he followed her into the unknown.

…

**Author's Note: **I just really want to thank Kitty again, salutations to traingirl13 and Kuronekoxx: nice guesses. But do you really see _Rinslet's _traits in Trevaunne?

Two people got it! I won't say who, but they got it, and when you read later chapters we'll know who's right!

I love this contest…


	9. Anesthetic

Chapter Nine: Anesthetic

...

Trevaunne stepped reluctantly into the dimly lit lab. Situated at the end of a long hallway sparsely decorated and a straight route, it felt that he was walking more to the end of the world rather than a compilation of Lunatique's life's work. Her laboratory looked cluttered, but on closer inspection he could see a method to her madness. Piles of papers bound by bursting string or overloaded paper folders were tucked beneath half used apparatus, and running his finger along a dusty table he noticed equations written in dried blue ink. He ducked beneath a coiled transparent tube as he walked towards the only luminance in the room; a wide screen the side of a twin bed at least. Before and below the screen was a wide curved desk with writing equipment about and three keyboards, two tossed aside, and a cup of coffee chipped at its handle.

Tearju stood before the screen with her fingers running madly and blindly over the buttons of the keyboard and her glasses reflected the data from the white blinding screen. Trevaunne watched in half fear and amazement; he was aware that even though she had given up on nanotechnology as a career she still had an interest in it, but he now understood that it was an obsession.

Her fingers stopped abruptly and she stared at the screen, collapsing into the chair once she saw the results.

"Professor Tearju?" her guest asked unsurely, "Is there anything I can help with?"

"The N.S. serum," she said hoarsely, "no one can help me with that."

"What?"

"I designed it," she said ruefully and loudly, and he saw her fists clench the edge of the chair as she said so. "I made the serum to catalyze nano-machines only as a last resort, that if it was out of control I could shut it down with this."

"Shut it _down?" _Trevaunne stressed, "You mean to say that the N.S. serum was made to shut down Eve's ability to use the nano-machines?"

"Don't misunderstand," she said thinly as her forehead pressed against her left hand knuckles. "The nano-machines within Eve's body are closely tied to her metabolisms, and that includes the nervous system. As a default, her nervous system depends on the nano-machines to an extent to control the impulses in her body. If the nano-machines stop working altogether, her nervous system would stop with it. That means her brain would stop working…"

Trevaunne winced, "She'll become brain dead?" he whispered.

With a controlled emotion, she looked up at him. "She'll die."

He visibly flinched and stepped back a moment, feeling his entire being quiver. "Eve will… Eve will…"

"The heart can't operate without impulses, and the body can't survive without the heart. She'd die painlessly, but die nonetheless."

"Stop saying that!" Trevaunne yelled. "Eve won't die that easily!"

Tearju sighed and looked to the ground. "I'm sorry."

After a considerable silence, he spoke up quietly, "Is one of the side effects of the serum the ability to control Eve?"

Tearju stared at him. "What? No; the nano-machines would stop instantly, abruptly. Therefore she'd collapse into a coma once it's completely in her system." She watched his bewildered look. "Why are you so surprised?"

"Sephira—or rather her clone—was controlling Eve through verbal instruction."

She glared at the screen. "They must have altered it in my absence," she growled, then sighed. "My past won't let me be…"

Trevaunne paused and watched her a moment. "Professor," he called and she looked up, "is there a way to reverse the N.S. serum effect?"

She shrugged. "They're just chemicals, really, you can't just reverse it."

"Can't you counter it with something else?"

"Possibly, if I had a sample…this is not the N.S. serum that I'm familiar with, therefore I can't just make something in an instant."

She could tell that he was formulating a plan. "Professor, how long would it take for the N.S. serum to take complete effect?"

"An average…of several hours, and after she's in the coma, possibly three more. I don't _know, _Trevaunne," she admitted, deflated. "For once, I just _don't_ _know_."

He grinned with a promise transfixed in his face. "That's enough for us to act." He turned to the door then paused, looking at her with a softer smile. "One last question, Professor, do you have anything that could possibly track a being with a high concentration of nano-machines within their body?"

…

Eve lay emotionless on the operating table, her eyes closed and dressed in a sterilized white dress, feet bare and thoroughly washed of dirt and blood, and her hair was in a single plait hanging off the table. Doctor's mad reincarnation looked over his equipment on the table, and tapped his chin in thought.

"Really, what should I do first? If I go straight for the organ that processes the nano-machines then I might rupture something else, but I can't bear to start on the small stuff…" he placed down the scalpel again and picked up a long bladed knife with a dangerous serrated edge.

"I suppose if I dissect an appendage separately from the torso that would suffice until my warm up is complete," he said thoughtfully and turned to his sleeping subject.

"Eve, if you can hear me, lift your arm."

Her finger twitched.

"Oh dear, the anesthetic is wearing off," he said biting his lip. "I dislike screaming patients when they're a part of a curious discovery."

He flicked his wrist to a waiting nurse in the room, and she left hurriedly, disappearing in the darkness beyond the round barrier of light.

"Until then, princess," he teased, "I'll just monitor your healing capabilities on the nano-scopic scale."

He flicked his wrist again and a large instrument was rolled forward. Doctor adjusted a telescope like tube to hover over Eve's injury, then turned to the monitor. The nurses looked over his shoulder.

"You can almost see the nano-machines themselves as they work: turn your attention to the slow moving strings of flesh such as this one here." He tapped the string, "That's a principle at work that I'm intending on perfecting."

They nodded with gruesome eagerness, well aware that he was going to dissect her alive…

"Doctor!"

He looked up at the nurse who bounced into the room. He frowned at her, "Where's my anesthetic?"

"Forgive me, Doctor, put Miss Arks has become bedridden; it seems as though her condition is worsening!"

He frowned further. "To become bedridden? That is a serious case… very well." He stood, "Students, please leave the princess to her slumber, and nurse, ensure that the anesthetic remains in her system. We don't want her waking up anytime soon."

And he disappeared into the darkness, his silhouette vanishing into a square of light. A fifteen minutes' walk away led her to Arks' chambers, the said young woman was seated on her bed, digging at her bloody side through her white dress shirt, and though her back was to him, he could guess that her face was contorted with pain.

"You're not doing well, Sephira," he said grimly as he strolled into the room.

"And who's to blame for that?" she snapped viciously, "Weren't you supposed to make me the…ugh!" She doubled over as she pressed her wound, and the crimson grew darker.

"Lie down, Sephira." She glared at him and he repeated, warning in her voice. "Lie down."

She gingerly leaned back against the sheets and her hands were raised from her abdomen. Blood tainted her bedspread once her shirt was lifted, and the powerful scent of metal made Doctor twitch. She was bleeding less from her self-inflicted wounds than the hole through her stomach, veins visible and stretching from that point.

Doctor spoke after a long quiet inspection. "You're going to bleed to death."

"Tell me something I don't know," she hissed bitterly.

"I mean it," he said and she glared at him. "You're going to bleed to death. Your nano-machines are working against you by now, they're destroying your tissue rather than repairing it. It's as if they were rewired by data encrypted in the railgun's energy, and that data is passing on through the other nano-machines from this wound. You're going to bleed to death, that, or you'll die from the erosion of your organs."

Her icy glare intensified. "You sick doctor. And you're the one who created me."

He stood and wiped the blood in his coat as he shrugged. "Even God made several mistakes, one was creating mankind in his image." He snorted, "What does that say about _him_?"

"What does _my _condition say about _you?"_ she yelled, "You're a failure as a scientist in nanotechnology, forever second to Lunatique!"

Her head snapped back on impulse as Doctor savagely gripped her neck. Deadly aura gleamed in his eyes, "Don't you _dare _compare me to that woman. _Don't you dare!"_

She smirked. "Go ahead and kill me then," she said weakly, "I'm going to die anyway."

Slowly, he released her and then chuckled under his breath as he headed for the door. "That's right, you're going to die slowly, painfully and pitifully, and indirectly, it would have been by my hands."

Her glares should have killed him.

But it was by then a lackey entered the room, bowing respectfully and yet trembling with fear.

"What is it?" Doctor asked.

"Intruders, sir, on the outside of the west wing."

"How many?" Sephira asked as she sat up again.

"Three," came the abrupt response and the other two in the room tensed.

So they had finally arrived…

…

"So that's it, huh?" Sven asked as he tilted his hat up and peered at the mansion overlooking the ocean. He leaned the elbow of his still sore but more or less healed arm on the roof of the car, and Train was leaning against the hood, grinning at the dark silhouette on the black cliff that reminded him of the manor where he had defeated Creed.

"Why is it that these guys always pick lavish places to get their butts kicked?" he asked.

"Because of their links through affluent men in the underworld," Trevaunne responded, holding the small device that appeared to be a tiny satellite dish, yet linked easily with his phone.

"Enough talk," Sven said, seriousness lousy in his tone. "Let's settle the final battle once and for all and get Eve back."

He stepped forward, followed by Trevaunne, but Train stopped him by holding his palm out. "Trev," he said in a careful voice so as not to let Sven hear, "how many hours since Eve was injected with the serum?"

"Roughly three," Trevaunne said uneasily.

"Listen to me," his father said in a dark voice, his eyes half glaring. "We're not going to take anymore time than an hour, and understand that our primary and only mission is to get Eve, get out and get her to Tearju as soon as possible."

"What about Sven? Are you going to tell him anything about this?"

"Eve is his only priority," Train responded with a shake of the head. "You don't need to worry about him. Got it?"

"Got it."

"What are you two doing?" Sven yelled at them. He was already several yards away. "Let's get going!"

And the three of them barged into unknown territory.

…

**A/N**

Sven: Wait, what about the car?

I just wanted to put that in. Thanks for your reviews! I should be wrapping this up in about five more chapters approximately, so just as a heads up; the next chapter is full of drama and things will not go according to "plan", so to speak. Read on, read on!


	10. Orihalcon and the BioMech

Chapter Ten: Orihalcon and the Bio-Mech

…

Sephira could feel the warmth seeping through the thick tightly applied bandaged around her waist, and with another grunt of pain she pressed her palm against it, glaring at the damp crimson that tainted her recently washed skin.

"You shouldn't move, Miss Sephira," the nurse in the room pressed gently and somewhat fearfully. "That might make the condition…"

"Worse, I know," she snapped in a numb voice. She was well aware of her condition—more so than that insane clone of a demon had assumed—yet she was unnerved at the sensation of frenzy of floors beneath her feet, and her tired muscles ached to swing her sword in well practiced strides and postures.

"How much time before the space trade begins?" she asked as she shifted on her seat on the bed.

"Ten tomorrow morning," was the response, "that is about sixteen hours from now."

"That's enough time…" she trailed off, leaning forward slightly, shifting her weight to her feet as she steadied herself to stand. Her appointed nurse caught the action and she crossed the room to press down on Sephira's shoulder while coaxing her to rest.

"Enough," her sharp voice cut through the room that became laden with silence. "You and I know only too well that my wound will not heal. What is the point of this treatment from that aspect?"

She stood and sauntered over to her closet, swinging it open and laying affectionate eyes on the stationary sheathed sword. She held it, embracing its weight.

"I fear that this is our last battle together," she whispered, "before you are given to another Arks to fight alongside."

Her black coat slipped onto her frail form easily, and as her eyes were laden with new emotion, she walked to the door. "Prepare yourself, Heartnet."

…

_You can look at this like a break in and break out, _Sven had told them, _we aren't looking for a fight, but if it's inevitable, make it a short one._

Trevaunne didn't have to be told thrice, since his father had already implied that with shorter flashier phrases and he already had the dull concept in his mind. Nonetheless, the words pushed him more than his intuition could.

_We can start to find Eve by the number of lackeys, though that in itself might lead us astray, therefore normal searching will have to do until one of us find her._

The young Heartnet kicked open another door into a dead end room and dashed down the continuation of the hallway once he heard footsteps storming in close behind him.

_Naturally she's bound to be heavily guarded, or possibly she'll be our opponent. We have to try to knock her unconscious before making off with her._

"_And if that doesn't work?" Train had asked carefully, and Sven almost glared at him, but sighed understandingly. _

"_Then we'll have to improvise when we get to our situation," he'd answered._

Trev-chan didn't like the deflated tone that Volfeid had used in the latter statement, and from Train's expression he could tell that his father felt the same way. Yet there was also a flash of trust, and Trevaunne had to depend on that.

He cursed and slammed himself against a wall when he saw a group of men at the end of a perpendicular hall to the route he was taking, and he assumed that they were there to prevent traffic. Regardless of that, did they really have to bring _that_ type of weapon here?

_It's a whole tank, damn it! _Trevaunne thought frantically, _this isn't a bloody war!_

An obvious exaggeration, it was only three bazookas, a crate of bombs and several machine guns strapped onto a vehicle that was slim enough to race through the hallways with ease; an equivalent to a tank.

Trevaunne hissed out another curse as he peeped around the corner.

"Holy—!"

He winced when Sven's exclamation rang through this earphone. "They've got equipment to start a war out there!"

"I take it that you've seen their preparation to go to Iraq," Trevaunne remarked as he scanned the sidelines for Sven. He found him at a glimpse, pressed against a wall out of view from the alert group of armored men his hat was a sharp white beside the creamy subtly of the walls.

"How are we going to get past them without blowing us up into oblivion?" Sven thought to himself.

"Run before you get blown into oblivion," Train's voice retorted.

"What?"

"At the end of the hall from the perspective I'm looking at, there's a staircase. If we get up there before the ammunition blows…"

Sven cursed and Trevaunne stifled laughter.

"I'm going to take out the bazookas first," Train said, and they heard _Hades _click. "After that, Trev-chan knock those guns out of their hands, Sven catch them into a net to buy us some time. Ready?"

"Yeah."

"Yes."

_Bang!_

Of course, it only sounded like one shot, but the armored men were all surprised when their most intimidating weapon became rendered useless.

A series of shots afterward sent the men ready for action into a panic once their firearms escaped from their grip in a flash, and out of the nowhere the majority of them were balled up into a thin mesh net. A blur of white passed; Sven, Trevaunne dashed afterwards, and Train leaped over the Jeep parked in the middle of the way, shot once and the vehicle went up in a burst of flames.

Sven jumped out of his skin when he heard the explosion. Halfway up the steps, he glared down at Train, "You never mentioned that you'd do that!"

Train grinned. "I improvised. Let's go!"

The second level was beginning to get lousy with armored men, most likely shocked from the loudest explosion thus far, and the trio was delayed by persistent fighters. Trevaunne kicked in another room while reloading his revolver, and he deflected a bullet once his father and his partner dashed past.

"This floor is more annoying than the first," Train muttered. He slammed the double doors at the end of the hall wide open and found himself in a large room; more like a dancer's hall for grand balls suit—polished black floors matching the pillars that went up fifty to sixty feet above, and somewhere around that height, they saw ways for the third floor.

Staring upwards, Sven was about to speak but was shocked to silence once Train and his son shot simultaneously, once again making it sound like one bullets, but two _clangs _in their near distance told him otherwise, and that there was fourth person in the room.

Sephira stood with her sword held close and her eyes closed, the edge of her blade smoking slightly from the momentum of kinetic hitting potential. Her eyes opened and Train flinched; there was something different about I this time, a hostility more intricate and level that he was sure he could rival, yet at the same time not so sure…

Trevaunne intercepted the thrust attack headed his way and gritted against the woman's strength. "I'll be her opponent," he said to the watching Train and Sven. His eyes flickered to them momentarily: "Go!"

They sprinted off and disappeared behind the opposing double doors.

"That was quite noble of you," Sephira said lowly to the slightly struggling Trevaunne. "But they won't find Eve by simply searching blindly."

Trevaunne scoffed. "Well it's not like you actually gave us a map," he retorted.

Sephira leaped back, flashing the blade of her sword down, "Eve is on the fourth level at the end of the hall, within the Operating Room."

Trevaunne frowned with half horror. He'd heard of an adventure Train had experienced in a setting by that name, a weird imaginary environment set up by a person named Doctor.

"W-why are you telling me this?" He said almost breathlessly; an unfamiliar fear had knocked the air out of him.

She took a fencing position. "When and if you defeat me, you're free to take your comrades to rescue the Little Princess."

Trevaunne braced himself. "And supposing—just hypothetically—that I lose?" he asked experimentally.

Her sword flashed again. "Then you won't live to utter a word."

_Hades _twirled in his left hand. _To the death, eh? _He thought grimly, _Damn._

He decided to fire first, and was not surprised when she danced her way out of danger and towards him. Orihalcon hit pure alloy and the sounds echoed through the hollow insides of the chamber. Trevaunne threw her attack off and crouched beneath a smooth arc of an attack, swinging his leg around while at his low position.

She stepped back and her blade came down… he caught it above his head, the golden barrel rivaling her force.

"You've been practicing," she commented.

"I don't intend to lose to you again," he responded and threw off her attack, shooting the blade to give him space and time to jump back before the cutlass swung forward again. He spun his revolver in his left hand but suddenly switched to his right, cattish amber eyes remaining on Sephira.

She frowned slightly. "I noticed that you always use railgun with your right hand," she said.

He shook his head. "Not this time."

She inclined her head in thought, _Even without his railgun I can still get damage from a single hit. Since my body won't heal anymore, I cannot take that risk. Yet at the same time, I do not know what surprises he may have for me._

After the brief pause they both dashed forward. Arcs filled with power and lit with sparks of rubbing metal, and the silence of the hall was constantly shattered. A black blade struck the ground once Trevaunne had swung his way around its course, and placed a shoe on the blade as he pointed _Hades _to her head.

Reflex made her duck forward, and few blonde strands were sacrificed in the process. Her beloved cutlass swung from beneath his temporary hold and he blocked a lethal blow to his side with the revolver, losing his footing and the momentum sent him skidding across the hall's floor.

Still grounded, he deflected a piercing attack aimed for his throat, and the floor cracked and splintered where the attack had curved off course.

"Sephira, aren't you a Bio-mech?" he asked quietly, "Couldn't you have simply morphed your skin to steel to defend against my bullet?"

"I am not so weak as to depend on those abilities alone!" she drew her sword and tried the kill again. This time she drew blood, but from his shoulder as he moved last minute, the barrel of _Hades _pointed at her hands gripping the hilt of her cutlass. He didn't hesitate as he fired.

She screamed out and fell back, staring at her sword swinging away from her. She paused, a cold gun pointed against her forehead.

Trevaunne blew out a sigh of half relief, those his eyes were disbelieving. "You didn't fight to your full potential."

"Not as much as I could have, I must admit, no," she responded with a grim chuckle, closing her eyes as she accepted her defeat. Her hand gripped her wounded palm. "That railgun of yours took a heavier toll than many imagined."

His eyebrow rose. "Meaning?"

She looked up at him, "When I was shot by your railgun in our first battle, my wounds never healed; my nano-machines were rendered useless. After a while, they regained energy but began working against me. Now it's eating me alive, and that perverted doctor is enjoying my demise."

"Doctor? A literal doctor or…the man from the Apostles of the Stars?"

She smirked at him, "You know your history."

"Or rather my bedtime stories," he corrected, "but… explain. What is Doctor doing here?" he paused, "Does he have Eve?"

Sephira sighed. "Doctor designed me using his reformatting of the N.S. serum. I was to be the ultimate Bio-Mech, a being that could even withstand railgun." She gritted her teeth and hissed, "I turned out to be the opposite."

"But what about Eve?" Trevaunne asked, his hand trembling with frustration, "what's going to happen to her?"

She almost glared as she growled: "Dissect her."

Trevaunne froze and pressed _Hades _further into her bangs. Anger glazed his eyes, "And you…"

"It has nothing to do with me," she corrected him. "My orders were to kill her. Whether she's dissected before or after doesn't matter, she's to be killed in the end." She watched the gun waver. "And shoot if you wish. My life's limited anyway."

She blinked in surprised when the gun dropped and was sheathed. Trevaunne walked away, steeling himself to remain still. "I've never killed before. I'm a sweeper, after all."

She stared after him, then smiled to herself. "Of course; I had forgotten that they exist in this time…"

…

**Author's Note: **A world without sweepers. Train's world anyway; can you imagine that?

I apologize that this chapter took so long. I began it four times but each time it didn't feel right, and when it did, the electricity went out for the whole day due to these frequent thunderstorms that we're having, so I apologize!

And I'm not sure if Iraq exists in their world: Japan and the Grand Canyon do, so what's one place more or less? Actually, in the later chapters of Black Cat there was a map showing the "Other Continent" and the places where all the action happens… it didn't look like the world we know and love.

Where's Japan in that?


	11. Princess?

Chapter Eleven: Princess?

…

The night was colder than he last assumed, frost biting at him despite the hot crimson running down his left arm, throbbing with agony from its previous dislocation…his throat still felt raw from screaming out before.

_Hades _trembled in his right hand as he searched for a grip and steadiness that he had in cool, collected strides when marching up those steps to face Eve's captor…all his bravado was gone, and he felt pathetic.

Sven's thoughts seemed to be on par with his, as those light brown eyes stared eagerly at the unmoving young girl on the operating table behind the mad Doctor's silhouette, glowing faintly from the activity of nano-machine's within his new body.

Or rather _his original _body, after all: this wasn't Doctor, but rather a replica using nanotechnology. And it was this replica, he was sorry to say, was kicking their as…

"Train," a shuddering voice knocked him out of his self-loathing.

"What?" his voice was as dark as the tone Black Cat used, and he didn't bother conceal it, though they were both well aware that no amount of murderous aura would unnerve the uninjured Doctor.

"Let's try my foreseeing eye," Volfeid finished.

Train could feel Sven's hopeful and half-hearted stare on him. "Let's give it a shot."

"Sven, I don't think…"

"Damn it, Train!" he yelled suddenly, making Heartnet jump, "Eve is right within our reach and we're just going to sit here doing nothing?"

_We can't afford to be irrational at a time like this, in our current position, with our current opponent…_Train thought. _But worst of all, we can't start conflictions within our groups. Yet at the same time if it costs our lives in vain…_

He cursed aloud and steadied his revolver between both hands, regulating his weight on his toes as he prepared himself for action. "Why not?" he said with a wary smile, "Let's try it."

Sven sighed in relief and anticipation, and fueled his energy into his right eye. _Lloyd, lend me your strength!_

He was silent for a second, trying to sort out what he saw, but it remained the same. Nothing.

"Train, he's not there."

"Not the—?"

Train was cut off when he was sent crashing into one of the great room's walls, clouds of dust forming around his small crater and unmoving being among the dislodged bricks and lumps of concrete.

"Train!"

"Don't get me wrong, that was a reasoned out tactic," Doctor's voice came from beside Sven's ear.

Sven turned frantically, greeted by nothing but still cold air.

"The foreseeing eye which permits you to see, what was it?—two minutes in the future?" his voice came from the other side of the room, beyond the operating table highlighted in the bright spotlight gleaming on Eve.

"I'm sure it would have worked on any other fast moving being, but there's a flaw."

Sven's eyes flickered about the room as he searched for Doctor, uneasiness rising in his gut. "And that would be?"

Doctor's voice came from behind, too close for comfort: "Suppose the opponent was moving two minutes faster than your eye can predict?"

Sven felt a monstrous blow in his back that sent him flying across the floor and he hit the edge of the operating table, letting out a grunt as his spine ferociously knocked against bitter-cold steel.

_If that's the case then my Glasper eye should have a chance! _Sven thought as he stumbled to get to his feet. The evolution of his optical ability revealed itself, and Doctor frowned slightly in observation as he tapped his heel against the floor to attack again.

A flurry of attacks were slowed down from Sven's perspective; though still faster than the usual sluggish motion he anticipated, he managed to dodge every attack, and unlike Foreseeing eye, his energy remained steady. Slowly as his hope peaked his strength seemed to return, and he tried his luck to land a hit.

Swinging around his suitcase to Doctor's jaw he tried to accumulate all of his speed…he missed. And felt a rupturing blow to his abdomen. Stunned still from the impact he remained crouched and felt his consciousness freeze as pain flashed through his system.

"I was caught off guard by your ability," Doctor admitted, "and it was another well thought out tactic, however there's a difference between 'seeing the attack coming your way' and 'being able to dodge'. Although you could clearly anticipate my movement, because of your awkward position you wouldn't have been able to completely avoid the uppercut I had in store for you."

Sven dropped with a thud to the ground, hoarse sounds escaping as he tried to breathe normally. "I saw what you did to avoid a more fatal blow: you leaned forward at the last minute for me to hit slightly below the diaphragm rather than your ribcage, which would have no doubt broken, splintered or punctured something to lead to your eventual death."

"I'm sick of your monologue lectures," Train growled as he cocked _Hades _and fired. As anticipated Doctor dodged by crouching, giving him access to aim for Train's legs, ribs, lower torso. He brought in a swift kick and started when it was blocked by the shell of the Chronos' custom revolver.

Train smirked, his eyes half closed beneath his bangs. "You're not the only one who's been watching other people's moves," he said as he leaped and arched his back around another low kick, and landed on his feet to block a flash punch from the genuinely puzzled Doctor.

"I've noticed that with your speed, you've become ridiculously predictable," Train continued, dodging and blocking, hardly attempting to try to attack. "And once you've started to attack, it goes on a straight course, making it even easier to predict where the attack will fall. That's why curved attacks such as low kicks, drop kicks, side punches, are slower than running in a straight line or simply pushing someone down. Though with your speed that acts force to the impact, and it feels more like a punch from a bazooka rather than a simple shove, which in effect, is all you do."

Doctor gritted his teeth. _Already, he's deciphered my movements this far?_

"All that's left to figure out is how you do it," Train threw off an attack and pushed _Hades _forward directly towards Doctor's face who froze, staring at the hollow barrel that could punch his head full of lead in an instant.

"Like Eve, your nano-machines can manipulate your impulses, right? And if your nano-machines act on your will, that means that you can push your muscles to a new extreme, thus resulting in faster response, hence your super speed," Train grinned at the last note. "But if you control your movements strictly on will—that you and you alone control what you do—that cancels out your impulsive reactions. Your natural reflexes to flinch away, hence you didn't move when _Hades _was pointed at your head. Although your responses are faster, that doesn't necessarily mean that you _think _any faster, therefore even though you might have seen _Hades _coming your way, by the time you could process that action, it was already there."

Doctor remained silent, but his smile was gone, and for the heck of it, Train grinned further. He knew that the battle wasn't over, but having processed a large amount of what makes the doctor tick, he was at an advantage to be on par during their fight.

"That was splendid work, Train," Doctor, finally said, "I'll admit that I had pride in myself to be able to defeat you before I was figured out. But you've forgotten the big picture."

Train leaped back once an unfamiliar and irregularly shaped blade sliced through the air with a disturbing _whip- _like sound, as though the air was _literally _sliced in half.

"You're forgetting that I am a Bio-Mech, therefore I can transform any part of my body on will."

Train glared silently.

"Yet, that will end my speedy responses, but I gain points in the field of randomness. With the universal option of morphing into anything I choose, how do you intend to defeat me?"

Train hopped in one place for a moment, warming up his legs to run if needs be as he thought deeply. _I've got a few ideas, after all I was exposed to nanotechnology for two years now, _his eyes flickered to the trembling Sven. _But in the end the most effective way to _really _defeat him is by shocking him into oblivion. Damn, how am I supposed to do that?_

"How do you intend to defeat _her_?"

_What?_

Train looked at where Doctor gestured and saw Eve crouched on the table—literally crouched like a panther readying to pounce—and looking down at Eve with this kind of deathly playfulness, like a baby cub about to attack an unsuspecting grasshopper.

"Eve!"

She responded to her name at least. She looked up, first at Doctor, then at Train, no glimmer of recognition reflected in those dilated pupils.

"Time to play tag, Eve," Doctor said simply.

"With him?" she asked, eyes curiously scanning the wary, seething Train.

"Yes."

Her bare feet hit the floor silently as she stood beside Sven, never glancing at him a second time, and staring absently at Train. "I am the demon," she said in a chilling voice and hunched slightly before sprinting forward.

It wasn't actually a sprint: one minute she was there, the next minute she wasn't, but what frightened Train was the clap of thunder he heard right before he was knocked against the wall with a tremendous force. What _was _that?

"Sonic boom," Doctor said simply, "mass can move so fast that it forces air to move out of the way rather than slicing through it as a blade does, and the sound in regard to that air movement is known as the sonic boom." He grinned, "Frankly, Train, that's faster than me. How do you intend to fight her without harming her?"

_In her current state Eve can do some serious damage, _Train assessed, _and if it goes too far, my instinct to survive will click in. Should I really be going up against Eve?_

"Train, you deal with Doctor," Sven had gotten to his feet and was wincing as he stood. "I'll take on Eve."

"Sven, are you sure…?"

"I know Eve," Sven responded, "even in this state something must still remain and I'll wake her up with that."

"Good luck with that," Doctor said, sneering, "The N.S. serum is quite effective."

_The serum! _Train remembered suddenly, _it's bound to take effect soon!_

"Where are you looking?" a voice abruptly beside him asked.

"Don't worry about that," he growled and blocked the blade that struck orihalcon.

Though quick, no-one in this room was faster than the speed of sound, and for now Train could depend on that until he could come up with a better plan. He back flipped from a set of coils that sprouted from Doctor's individual fingers.

_What to do…what to do…?_

Train blinked with new inspiration, remembering when Trevaunne spoke about Tearju's opinion on the N.S. serum… "_She said that the impulses more or less depend on the nano-machines, so once that's taken out…"_

_And the impulses are carried along the nerves… _Train's second of hesitation cost him another injury in his left arm, and he gritted his teeth at the added pain and he flinched and retreated from another attack. He reloaded his gun in an instant and shot the organic cords that were slithering his way.

Doctor cried out in pain as what were extensions of his fingers dropped to the floor limply, yet still moving, much to his disgust. Train dashed forward and leaped, aiming as he tried to put his plan into action…

Sven wasn't doing as well. No matter what memories he tried to reinstall in Eve, none invoked a reaction, and she remained a blank minded doll striking in not-so-random movements that were driven by crushing momentum from her speed and the weight of whatever weapon she molded her appendages into.

"Eve! Snap out of it, it's me! Sven!"

She didn't respond, but rather concentrated on breaking the briefcase that he was using as a shield. A hammer caused pain to ripple through his arms and the second hit knocked his weapon out of his hand. As the third hit rose above her head to begin the blow Sven tried in vain again, and flinched when a gunshot besides Train's was heard, and Eve's attack went off trajectory.

"You won't get through to Eve until the serum has worn off," Trevaunne said as he strolled into the room, the smoking _Hades _in his left hand. "Until it has, only one idea is in her mind: 'I am the demon, I must kill'."

He raised his gun towards Eve, who now stared at him. "Will you play tag also?"

"With you least of all," Trevaunne retorted.

Eve frowned slightly.

"Trevaunne, what are you doing?" Sven yelled, "Are you planning on shooting Eve?"

"Eve has the reflex to dodge or block on short notice," Trevaunne announced, "if we drain her energy she'll knock herself out and we can take her with us."

He fired and blinked in surprise when the bullet was shredded in an instant before it hit Eve—before it _could _hit Eve. The metallic fragments of what was once a bullet fell at Eve's bare feet, and her hair that had acted as individual blades to cut the attack now rested around her shoulders.

He unnatural gaze remained on him as she prepared herself to dash forward.

_No doubt she wouldn't be able to dodge railgun, _Trevaunne thought absently, _but supposing she ends up like Sephira or worse?_

"Trev-chan! Dodge, Eve can…!" Train's warning came too late as the said girl ran forward and pushed Trevaunne down. The split air exploded behind her and the momentum crashed Trevaunne into the floor, Eve still holding him down at the neck. Her tendons popped to form into another weapon.

Short on air Trevaunne gasped and clawed at her strong grip that was crushing his thorax mercilessly. Dizziness was forming just as Eve's sword hit Sven's briefcase.

"Eve!" Volfeid yelled and she looked at him openly, somewhat questioningly. "Stop this! It's not like you, Eve."

Slowly it was a fragile hand that was resting on his case, and her eyes blinked several times before emotion flashed over her impassive countenance. Her grip on Trevaunne released and he coughed, rubbing his sore throat and watching Eve carefully.

"Sven…?" she inquired in a small voice.

Sven smiled with relief and nodded. "Yeah, it's me Eve."

She smiled and took in an abrupt breath before falling to the ground, unconscious. Trevaunne and Sven stared.

"Eve…?"

There was no response.

_Eve!_

…

**Author's Note: **Hello, good morning, good afternoon, good night, good midday or whatever time it is that you're reading this. I just want to say that I'm sorry that this took so long to get out; since my laptop is temporarily rendered useless the family of three is sharing around mother's laptop, therefore I get limited time to continue our little "Rebirth of Railgun".

I also apologize if this chapter was a little weak; I spent a lot of time thinking it out but it's still difficult to visualize this sort of battle though I know where it's going to end up. If you have any ideas, I'll accept them in either reviews or private messages, and if I'm lovin' it, you might just see it in later chapters.

I accept constructive criticism (I can't be an author if I don't get insulted now and then) so if you want to blame me, go ahead. Just don't make the flames too hot.

And thank you to those who favourite-ed (and I hope will do so in the future) my story! It makes me happy! Keep guessing for Trev-chan's mommy! I promise in the next two chapters tops there will be another clue. Just hold on while I get my stories straight! Thank you for reading, and please review!


	12. Rude Awakening

Chapter Twelve: Rude Awakening

**Author's Note:** Yo. To put it bluntly, I'm sorry this took so long. But I just finished watching some movie called "Planet 51", and I got hit with a punch of inspiration that had nothing to do with the movie. Please read and review.

…

The room froze. Despite the chilling air that had already enveloped the room and swirled in invisible wisps of currents, nothing moved. The darkness outside blended in with the ebony floors, and white cracks along the walls signaled where either Train or Sven were slammed against.

The said Heartnet clutched _Hades _in his hand to a painful point that he couldn't notice. He was so enraged that he couldn't feel the angry mass of being curling and yelping in his gut. His face was straight—bruised and blood smeared but straight—as he stared at the limp figure of Lil' Princess lying in a pool of her gold threaded hair, eyes closed and deaf to Sven's frantic screams.

From the corner of his shocked unwavering eyes he might have been able to see Trevaunne's sick face, twisted with both physical and emotional agony, his fingers twitching on the hilt of his revolver.

"It seems that the serum has taken its toll," Doctor remarked unwisely, a grin lousy in his tone. "A pity; once they've run loose her entire body will be failing. She's not worth dissecting anymore."

Trevaunne wanted to bark at him, to scream at him to shut up and shoot him several times in blurring pain and head wracking places that he knew exactly where to shoot…and he was surprised when his father's words flowed smoothly and steadily:

"You mean to say you knew this would happen?"

Volfeid carefully glanced up. He knew that voice. A voice that could set about a cloud of heavy emotion that smothered any good spirit, and Doctor's smile faltered, then disappeared entirely.

That was the voice of the Black Cat.

"You knew that Eve would respond to the serum this way?" his eyes were blank beneath chocolate bangs, and were staring at an empty spot on the floor.

"She responded to it faster than anticipated…"

_Don't speak! _Sven screamed frantically, mentally. But as the first syllable of his thoughts materialized in his mind, Doctor was already collapsing, his face inhumanly caved in and blood delayed flow as he fell, crimson blending into the dark colour of the floor.

Sven warily looked at the slightly grinning Train who was standing over him, fingers twitching and blood stained, _Hades _sheathed; he had killed a man with his bare hands.

In less time than a human had to blink.

_Was that the power of the nano-machines? _Trevaunne thought as the scene finally registered to his mind and his stomach lurched. _Could they have reawakened here?_

He flinched at a sickening _thump _and _crack _that sounded wet and splintered, and Trevaunne's sick feeling raged as he watched Doctor's internals being ripped barbarously from a limp unmoving body. Train kept going, golden eyes hidden beneath bangs as he continued to…

"Train!" Sven shrieked, awkwardly cradling Eve on his shoulder. "You're beating up a _corpse! _There's nothing left, we have to leave!"

Train paused.

"Train…?" Trevaunne asked skeptically and flinched again when Doctor's body was flung past his ear and snapped—literally _snapped loudly_—against the wall behind him.

Sven managed to stand with Eve on his back, and weakly snagged Trevaunne's sleeve as he tried to follow his father out the window.

"It's no use," he said hollowly. "Train's more or less lost his sanity. Let him wander."

"He might kill someone else…!" Trevaunne started, and stared when Sven shook his head.

"He's blown it off." He assured, and adjusted the unmoving Eve on his back, "Don't worry, the stray cat always comes home. Right now I'm worried about Eve."

With a last reluctant glance at the window, Trevaunne assisted Sven out of the mansion. Three miles away, there was still no sign of Train.

…

The screen still showed the steady heartbeat at the occasional _bleep _that made the older _Hades _click. Seated backwards on the chair, Trevaunne pointed the barrel towards the blue tinted flickering screen…

"Easy," Sven spoke up gruffly and amber eyes flickered to his apathetically. More or less crippled, Sven's left leg was in a cast and his crutches were propped up against the back of his wooden chair. His white hat tipped over his head, he looked tired, but still sent a copper glare to the anxious young Heartnet, who after half a minute, finally withdrew his hand.

Tearju appeared around a corner not too long after, glasses slightly crooked and hair tied back in a rushed ponytail. She smiled weakly. Like everyone else, she hadn't been getting much sleep.

None at all actually, for the past three days. Those three days in which, Train was still nowhere to be found.

"There's no need to be so tense," Lunatique said wearily, "Eve's recovering."

"At a painfully slow rate," Sven butted in. "It's slow, especially for her."

"It's the serum," Tearju said soberly. "Her nano-machines are recovering from the equivalent of a war. I myself don't know how long it could take…"

"Years?" Trevaunne growled pessimistically.

The room was tense, and Sven held his tongue at Tearju's considering stare on the floor.

_Seriously? _He thought, _Years?_

Suddenly Trevaunne stood and two pairs of eyes in the room followed him.

"I'm going to the roof," he stated. And he shoved his hands into his pockets and strode out of the room with that familiar long nonchalant stride that was the most perfect in hiding his true emotional state.

Sven smirked after him. "He is his father's son after all," he muttered.

"I find phrases like that ridiculously redundant." Tearju replied.

"What?" Sven asked quietly.

"His father's son," she clarified. "It's obvious he'd be his father's son; he can't be his uncle's son."

"Tearju," Sven said quietly and she turned to him. "It's just an expression."

"I know, but it makes me sick." She said flatly.

_Eve's like her, _Sven thought straining himself to remain silent and force himself to sleep.

…

On the roof of the mansion, air was cool and slightly forceful, and the roofs of trees across the environment played with the wind nymphs. Trevaune kept his footing easily, both born with instinct and years of using escape routes.

That escape route shared with all four of his siblings.

"When were you planning on coming back?" Trevaunne asked the wind and glared at the ripple of brown at the peak of the slant of the roof; no response came.

Trrevaunne glared down at his half asleep father. A familiar eye peeked at him and then closed. "I'm here now, aren't I?"

"After three days," Trevaunne hissed, sliding in beside him. "Where were you?"

"Out."

"Where?"

"Elsewhere."

"You're infuriating," Trevaunne growled and gave up, leaning on his back and glaring at the grey storm clouds that were forming.

Train side-glanced at him. "Trev-chan, can I ask you something?"

Trevaunne mimicked his expression. "Don't be surprised if I answer the same way you did."

Train smirked. "Railgun," he started, "how are you able to do it?"

"I told you, didn't I? My nano-machines are more active than…"

"Not that," Train interrupted, "_Hades _isn't pure orihalcon. Railgun can't be stored effectively enough in any other metal or alloy to begin activating railgun. How are you able to do it?"

Trevaunne's gaze remained on the moving sky for a moment, then he raised his palm. Train stared as it grew black, then glossy. Ebony like metal. Deep black like…

Orihalcon.

Train sat up with a jolt. "If you can do that, then who's your…?"

A shrill scream cut him short.

They were within the mansion in a heartbeat.

They both recognized the voice as Eve's, and though Train had heard her frightened scream before, Trevaunne hadn't, and looked next to terrified for her. They skidded into the room to find the young girl thrashing sheets and pain etched into her face, eyes closed and hair rising unnaturally as though she wanted it to transform.

"She's forcing her nano-machines into action," Tearju yelled over the shrieking, "they haven't recovered! She could kill herself like this!"

"Eve!" Sven staggered on his one good foot and stumbled to the bed, grabbing her shoulders. He called her name again, and again, but she continued to suffer from her over active impulses.

Train glanced down at Trevaunne who readied _Hades. _

"What are you doing?" he couldn't help asking, and readied himself to block if needs be.

"I can control the levels of railgun," he explained hurriedly, "if new electric currents are introduced to her system, that should calm her down, right?"

"What sort of twisted logic is that?" Sven yelped angrily at him, keeping a parental hand on Eve to pin her down.

"It would work in less serious cases," Tearju said to both Sven and Trevaunne, "but in this fragile situation we can't risk it."

Trevaunne lowered his revolver, keeping a said trembling gaze on Eve.

Train blinked with thought, a memory that lapsed out of nowhere. The first time he'd seen Eve, when she was about to kill someone on instruction—as though she were already intoxicated by the serum but hadn't touched a drop by then—Train had distracted her with a gun shot: shooting the ground.

The sound made her stop.

Throughout these years of hearing various guns go off he was skeptical if it would work again…but nonetheless he drew _Hades _and it was Trevaunne's turn to ask him of his plans.

"Tearju," Train called with a sorry smile, "I'm going to have to burn a hole in your floor."

Her expression was blank and half surprised at the same time, yet she gave the gesture _"by all means" _and Train pulled the trigger. He had intentionally used "Burst Bullet" to add for more impact, more sound and he was satisfied at the thunderous abrupt _bang _that ricocheted off the bare walls.

Eve woke up with a start, eyes blurry as she blinked at Sven's white hat. Her voice was a hoarse whisper: "Sven?"

"Eve!" He hugged her and she flinched sorely, but smiled weakly and tiredly.

Trevaunne's sick look was gone, as though he had recovered from Eve's condition, and Train abstractly noticed as he slowly turned his attention to the dim scene outside. Cautiously, he drew the curtain and stared for a long pause before he addressed Lunatique: "Where you expecting any guests?"

She frowned slightly and shook her head, glancing mournfully at the floor. "Aside from the five of you, no."

From Train's serious gaze outside, Trevaunne loaded his revolver.

"It would seem safe to suffice that we are approached by new faces."

"Got that right."

…

**Author's Note: **In advance I'm sorry! When Train was beating up Doctor all I could think was, "Suppsoing when Saya died if he would have killed Creed without _Hades _as Creed feared, that's why he ran away." This is all manga based, and wa~a~y later chapters if you want to check it out.

Anyway, that's what came to mind when I thought of the scenario; a wild beast kind of theme, and though I wasn't sick while I wrote it, after I read it over my stomach was begging for mercy.

And can you guess who Trevaunne's mommy is? C'mon, I put two hints in this one! Okay, an easier question: Who's visited the gang at Tearju's mansion?

_**Read and review!**_


	13. The King and Queen

Chapter Thirteen: The King and Queen

…

Train and Trevaunne, out of habit, were still holding onto their personal _Hades _when the remaining representatives of the New Chronos Order took knee before them. Eve, trembling from fatigue, was now seen as a queen, and her light hued eyes were frazzled with confusion.

"We bow before the king and queen of the future," they praised in chorus.

Trevaunne twitched with irritation. _What's preventing me from shooting them all in the head right now?_

His eyes flickered over to meet his parent's; sober, deep in thought, though beneath that he sensed a type of hostility similar to his own. His hand remained firm on _Hades, _though his wrist looked loose.

"What does that mean?" Sven was the first one to voice everyone's thoughts, and his voice was dark with a threat despite him being the one on the crutches.

"There's no need for such a high level of hostility," a familiar female voice felt suave over the gruff voices of her men. High heeled boots clacked as the captain stepped forward, long golden hair wavy down her back and an orihalcon blade sheathed at her hip.

"Sephira!" Train blurted, then turned accusingly to his son. "I thought you said she was dead!"

"She was!" Trevaunne barked in response, then in a softer reflective tone, "I mean, she _looked _that way…she could hardly stand!"

"Trevaunne Heartnet is correct," the (new) Sephira said in a gentle tone and a nostalgic smile. "The Sephira he had seen was very close to death, and in fact, she died this morning."

"Then who…" Eve's voice rattled off and Sven glanced at her worriedly.

"I am another clone of Sephira Arks, also built on the foundations of nano-technology."

_Oh, damn, _Train thought. Her crystal lined eyes flickered to him as though she read his thoughts, and her smiled deepened with amusement. "You don't have to remain so tense. I gave my men a message for all of you to hear for a reason."

"You referred to me and lil' Princess as royalty," Train summarized before Sven could. His golden eyes were glossy with laziness and a frank attitude that also reflected in his stance. "What of it?"

"The war is a part of fate," Sephira said curtly. "When the Time and Space Guardians were established, it had to be accepted that the future can only be altered by the past as long as it was not written in stone, in other words, fate requires it. Hence, the various universes that we have created in various methods of disposing of you and Eve all ended in our failure and the succession of the war in the future. Hence, the birth of a second human race is inevitable—in fine, it might even be necessary for further future events."

Trevaunne watched her soberly. "So…my parents will be left alone?"

_Parents? _Sven looked up at the term, though it seemed like only he acknowledged it, and through that observation he remained silent.

Sephira nodded and smiled. "Yes. There is no further need for us to remain in this timeline. You, Trevaunne Heartnet, has fought valiantly. I have a message from my superiors that, if you accept their offer, you may join our Order."

Train frowned. He didn't want any offspring of his having anything to do with Chronos. But unfortunately, that wasn't his choice.

"I think I'll prefer to put my qualifications in a different area," Trevaunne said softly and numbly, his line of sight slowly sliding past Sephira's shoulders. She nodded understandingly.

"Wait, qualifications?" Train repeated, blinking with a new thought. "Aren't you nineteen? How can you have qualifications?"

Irritably, Trevaunne turned to him with a wolfish smirk. "I'm not like _you_; I have two PHds in engineering and bio- chemistry."

Train's jaw dropped and Sven's brow raised in awe. "Actually, that was not expected," he muttered to himself.

Sephira outstretched her hand. "Trevaunne, you have to return with us."

"What?"

"To your—our—time."

"Oh," Trevaunne nodded. "You're letting me come with you?"

She let herself chuckle slightly. "You certainly can't remain _here, _Trev-chan."

Trevaunne started at the nickname Train had given him, but the older Heartnet simply smirked.

_That's Sephira: always doing her homework._

Trevaunne was caught off guard when Eve pulled him in a hug. Sven watched him skeptically and muttered to Train: "Pull your son off of Eve."

Train scoffed with humor at him. "Rest that parental hormone of yours, old man."

"I'm not…!"

Eve ignored the light aired argument behind her and smiled—still weakly—at her partner's son. "I'll miss you, Trevaunne. I like you better than Train."

Said sweeper twitched at the mention of his name. "Hey, Princess, that hurts. He has my genome."

"That's the problem," she muttered with her back to him.

Trevaunne grinned before turning to Lunatique and Volfeid. "I'm sure we'll meet again," he said cryptically, "and I think Laura is a good name."

They both frowned. "What?" they asked in unison.

"You'll see what I mean soon enough," he promised. Then to Train, "Old man, I'll see you soon."

Train twitched. "Watch it: I can ground you before you're born."

Trev-chan laughed. "I believe you."

He stepped away from them and bid final salutations, then they vanished in a blink of an eye.

_**Two weeks later**_

Eve was a sleeping figure beneath borrowed sheets, a long single plait touching the ground door. Sven watched her in the rear view mirror and then looked mournfully at his leg still in a cast.

"Oi, Sven," Train's hand adjusting the mirror then he glanced at his partner from the corner of his eyes. "Don't tilt the equipment on your own accord."

"Sorry," Sven muttered. Then after a pause, "Train, I've got a question for you."

Train grunted in acknowledgement. "Shouldn't you be asking Princess? She's the walking encyclopedia."

Sven glared at him and Train grinned. "Shoot."

"Who's Trevaunne's mother?"

Train looked at the empty road with a sober stare. "What makes you think I know?" he said eventually.

Sven sighed then lit a cigarette, and patiently drew a long breath on it. "I've known you for four years, Train. When you suddenly change the topic or take a long pause before you answer, that means you're either about to lie or don't want to tell the truth."

Train didn't answer.

"Train," Sven pressed.

"Like I said, what makes you think that I know?"

"You may be loose a few marbles, but you're observant."

Train flinched and glared. "By the way, why are you so concerned who _my _kid is? Shouldn't you be more worried about Eve?"

"I _am _worried about Eve!" Sven blurted then stopped, looking over his shoulder. She was still sleeping.

"She's pretty tired, huh?" Train muttered.

"She hasn't completely recovered from the serum," Sven responded.

Train felt a glare on him and he flinched. Then he got an idea: "Vocalized response regarding offspring seems likely to invoke parental reaction." He muttered.

Sven cursed. "You sound like Trevaunne!"

Train grinned. "Yeah." His eyes flickered up to see Eve staring at him through the rear view mirror. He smirked and she looked away, flustered.

"So, who's our next bounty?"

_**Thirty eight years later**_

Trevaunne caught the tennis ball easily in his right hand. Across the open field, he saw his father's figure—the father he knew—waving at him with a nostalgic grin plastered over his face.

"Nice throw, old man!" he yelled playfully.

"Nice catch, brat!" Train's voice carried through the wind.

Trevaunne smirked and watched as Saya ran up to him. She was twenty one this year and wore her brown golden streaked hair short about her shoulders, had long legs and like every other sibling, was a veteran around firearms.

"Trev-chan!" she hugged him with the same vigor that the younger Train had, and Trevaunne was smothered in her grip. "How was your visit to the past? What was dad like? What was Sven like?" What about Tearju?"

"Pretty much the same," Trevaunne said in a flat voice and grinned at his sister's deflated expression. "Where's Alice?"

She pointed to their 'cousin', so to speak, a tall girl with a graceful walk and mature being; she was the older sister out of all of them; forty six years old and had a three year old child of her own who played with Tori and Evan, Trevaunne's younger siblings.

"She finally got her name changed to Laura; and her parents were surprisingly unsurprised."

She laughed and Trevaunne smiled, thinking privately.

"You're going to kill him with your lingo," Saya, a new voice teased.

Isaac, the eldest brother, was a carbon copy of his mother save for the golden eyes. He towered over Trevaunne though now, unlike before, they were rivaling more fiercely.

"He'll be fine," Saya protested to Isaac, "Trev-chan spends all day talking to robots."

"Not robots," Trevaunne corrected, ", artificial intelligence. There's a difference."

"Right," Isaac agreed. "One is loyal, the other is set on world domination."

Trevaunne glared. "You read too much science fiction."

"What is that brat doing," Train muttered, rubbing silver bangs away from his eyes as he looked over the landscape, his eyesight weaker than his prime days but still better than most. "Is he going to throw the ball or not?"

"Careful you break something!" Sven's teasing voice came from the bench. Visibly older and visibly in his seventies, he was a strong aged man still in no use of a cane, though gray hair was more prominent beneath his hat than on Train's head.

"I'm not like you, old man," Train retorted and Sven blew out a sigh.

"Sven's right; you aren't a young man anymore." Train immediately smiled when he heard her voice and met stern unusually tinted eyes. Eve too, had aged, but still had pretty face and Train leaned forward and managed to steal a kiss. She lightly swatted him but blushed and eventually had to smile.

"Whatever you say, My Queen," Train said poetically and playfully, Eve curtsied.

Though only romantic and light titles in the past, those names rang throughout the minds of the Bio-Mechs of the future, and ended the war to begin the new age of man.

…

_The End._

**Missing Chapter- present day.**

Fourteen year old Eve was patiently scribbling on a piece of paper that she didn't look up from, even when Sven placed her favourite meal—ice cream—right before her in plain sight. At last, his curiosity got the better of him.

"Um, Eve," he warily interrupted her as she looked over the numbers she wrote down. "What are you doing?"

"Arithmetic," she answered shortly.

Sven nodded awkwardly. "Yes, I can see that…"

She looked up as she clarified. "I'm working out Trevaunne's timeline," she began. "He is, was, _will be _nineteen, and Sephira mentioned that she came from a period thirty eight years from now. Assuming that both she and Trevaunne are from the same time, Train would have been forty three when Trevaunne was born. However, Trevaunne implied that he had baby siblings. That would be when Train was—or is—seventy three. But I've read in a book that men tend to be sexually frustrated around that age."

The milk that Train was drinking was spat, or rather _sprayed _out of his mouth at the thought. Sven chuckled as Heartnet coughed and thumped his chest in exaggeration.

"W-wha…what kind of books are you reading, Princess!" he blurted and Sven's eyebrow arched as though asking the same question.

"Any book I find," she stated simply. "That aside, it seems as though Train is quite active when he's…"

Train's forehead met the table with a loud _wham! _

"I get the point, Princess." He muttered somewhat miserably.

Sven laughed. "You've got an _energetic _character, Train."

Train flushed with colour. "Shut up!"

…

**Author's Note: **Yes, ladies and gentlemen, this is the last chapter. If anyone liked my story, review and tell me what you liked the most. If you didn't like it, tell me what you hated and what you might have changed. All otherwise, review anyway.

_If you review I might add a bonus chapter! No guarantees unless you review!_


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